The Dead of Night
by annamorphos
Summary: Set in the four, blank pages in New Moon, left with nothing more than her memories, Bella attempts to live one day at a time. However, the sudden appearance of a new mysterious family catches her attention. Who are the McRaes, and why are they in Forks? RE-POST. AU-New Moon. Non-Canon.
1. Chapter 1

_This was my first fan fiction ever and was written over 3 years ago. _

**Chapter One: The Eyes**

I remember everything and nothing …

I opened my eyes and glanced up.

Tonight the sky was utterly black. Perhaps there was no moon tonight—a lunar eclipse, a new moon.

A new moon. I shivered, though I wasn't cold. I saw nothing but black before my eyes began to adjust. I blinked slowly; once. Twice.

That was when I saw them. That was when I saw the eyes.

Even in the pitch black night, they almost seemed to glow a dim, eerie blue. I squinted in a vain attempt to see the owner, but my eyes refused to focus. I could vaguely make out what looked like a human physique. Pale. Almost feminine. The form stood, staring at me, in the brush roughly five yards away. I wanted to call out, to demand to know who was staring at me, but my mouth, like my body, was too numb. I continued to stare for what seemed like hours. I stared until I heard them calling.

My eyes darted to the side. Someone was shouting my name. It was muted, muffled by the wet growth that surrounded me, but it was definitely my name. I didn't recognize the voice. I thought about answering, but I was dazed and curious about my spectator. It took a long time to come to the conclusion that I should answer, but by then, the calling had stopped. I glanced back to the eyes, but they and their owner had vanished.

I breathed a heavy sigh and turned on my back. I glanced up into the branches above me. Perched up in the tree above was the pale form with the glowing eyes. I almost screamed in surprise but all my lungs could afford was a gasp. The figure cocked its head to the side, almost in confusion. It was then that I remember something; a conversation from what seemed like another lifetime.

"_Don't go into the woods alone," _he had said to me.

"_Why?"_

"_I'm not always the most dangerous thing out there. Let's leave it at that."_

My mind began to race with all the possibilities: could another vampire, a non-vegetarian, have happened upon my scent? Was I dinner tonight? Or was it something worse, something that I had not prepared myself for?

_Prepared myself for?_ I thought bitterly, as if I could have ever, truly prepared myself for anything that had happened in the past year. Maybe this was just a hallucination; maybe I was so grief-stricken and tired that I was seeing the one being that might make me feel safe.

_If that's the case_, I thought to myself, _why am I seeing someone or something I can't recognize? _Another sigh escaped my lips slowly. I wasn't sure if I was utterly exhausted, or my mind had reached its limit, but sometime during my private conversation, I fell into a dark, dreamless sleep.

Sometime later, the rain woke me up. I don't think I'd really fallen asleep; I was just lost in an unthinking stupor, holding on, with all my strength, to the numbness that kept me from realizing what I didn't want to know.

The thought of the eyes staring at me in the night clawed its way to my memory. I glanced up, expecting to see the pale figure perched in the tree, but, to my disappointment, the tree was empty. The rain bothered me a little. It was cold. I unwrapped my arms from around my legs to cover my face.

It was then that I heard the calling again. It was farther away this time, and sometimes it sounded like several voices were calling at once. I tried to breathe deeply. I remembered that I should answer, but I didn't think they would be able to hear me. Would I be able to shout loud enough?

I decided that I should make an attempt. I sucked in a deep breath to call out to the voice.

However, a half second before I made my attempt, there was a gigantic burst of light. The entire forest was illuminated for a split second. The lightning danced across the sky in a jagged, white line. The light was bright and continuous; long enough for me to see them.

They stood in a semi-circle, about ten feet from me. One, the pale one with the blue eyes, the second a tall one with long, rain-soaked hair, and the third was shorter but muscular. They stood next to each other, only inches away from each other. All three of them were extremely pale and stiff. They stared at me with curiosity. The lighting flash in the sky faded and burst, almost instantaneously again. However, the three figures had disappeared.

Suddenly there was another sound, startlingly close. A kind of snuffling; an animal sound. It sounded big, and I wondered if I should feel afraid. For the strange sound or the odd figures that hovered in the area. I wasn't afraid. Just numb. It didn't matter. The snuffling went away.

The rain continued, and I could feel the water pooling up against my cheek. I was trying to gather the strength to turn my head when I saw the light.

At first, it was just a dim glow reflecting off the bushes in the distance. It grew brighter and brighter, illuminating a large space unlike the focused beam of a flashlight. The light broke through the closest bush, and I could see that it was a propane lantern, but that all I could see—the brightness blinded me for a moment.

"Bella."


	2. Interim Chapter

_*First posted over three years ago*_

**Interim Chapter**

_Aryana McRae_

_Why_; the word turned over and over in the confines of my mind. Why was I here at this stranger's house? Why was this girl, this ludicrously ignorant child, in the forest _alone_ with _him_? Did she not know the danger? Why did they look at each other with pure adoration and admonishment? In all my existence, I had never sensed anything like this. Moreover, what was this feeling that I had; it was as if I was drawn there by some unseen force. What was the secret? What was the missing link here? Just what did I expect to find? _Ha_, I laughed to myself, _now I am trespassing to the realm of "what." _I shook my head. My family and I had been in the territory for only a few hours and I was already having complications. I wished we could have remained in Sudbury. Ontario had really grown on me in so many ways. I love the snow; I detested the rain. I had always been attracted to the snow. I believe one could say that I _'blend in'_ well. According to some, however, we had disappeared for far too long; our 'family business' had begun to fail. So here I was, in the rain, outside a strange dwelling in a strange area. _What is the name of this place? _I asked myself, bitterly, "Forks," I whispered, very quietly.

The air picked up; I inhaled deeply and tasted the moisture filled wind. I rolled my eyes, annoyed. I turned and faced the blackness of the shadows.

"If you want to sneak up on someone," I retorted, almost arrogantly, "try to be the one _down_ wind." There was a low growl from the brush in front of me, and shortly after, a slow but steady audible growl radiated from the darkness.

I understood it.

"And why didn't you tell him?" I asked, laughing. It wasn't typical to hear such disobedience.

A rustling of the leaves sounded as he made his way toward me. He stopped short and a short, breathy exhalation followed my question. Moments later, a slow and subtle growl exited the shadows. To any human, this would be threatening, but not to me. I listened closely to what he had to say, pretending to be deep in thought.

"No. I don't think that will be necessary. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary here." I returned my focus to the small house in front of me; _nothing too out of the ordinary anyway._

The next sound seemed to catch me off guard; it was a choking and gagging noise. He was laughing at me, even though it sounded like he was coughing up a bone, he was definitely laughing at me. Another growl slowly edged from the darkness, this one seemed more persistent; he was getting impatient.

"I don't really know _what_ I was looking for," I said, gazing back at the house. "There's something … different here. Something I can't quite understand. She saw us. I know she did."

With that, he fell into silence, not speaking, growling, or grumbling. I was beginning to believe he had returned home when I heard a distinct tearing noise. The sound was very similar to someone ripping at fabric or tearing cloth apart; this sound was incredibly strange. Well, it would only be strange to some; I was used to it. I was very knowledgeable of this sound. After a few short seconds, it ceased and was replaced by the sound of a firm voice, thick and dripping with accent.

"And if she did? What then?" His voice was serious and slightly demanding. "Will any believe her?"

"I don't think that's the question, my brother," I said, mystified at my own thoughts.

"Pray tell, what _would_ the question be?" The firmness in his voice was melting into a strong impatience now. I began to think his negativity was a result of being so close to this house.

"I don't know just yet," I said, turning back to face the shadow. "but, as for now, I think we should be on our way. The last thing we need is for him to send the search party. We don't need that kind of attention, so soon."

"Then let us be off," he said as the leaves broke under his feet, but he stopped short and I heard a smug laugh leak out of his lips. "We really should hurry too. Don't you need to register for school?"

* * *

><p><em>Charlie Swan: Chief of Police<em>

* * *

><p>My hands were shaking more than an earthquake in California. I tried to steady my breath but it was no use. The term "nervous" was not strong enough. <em>This is crazy<em>, I thought to myself, _I should be able to have a normal conversation with my ex-wife, especially if it concerns 'our' daughter. _Who was I kidding? I was never very good at these things, but damn it, I was beyond worried and had run out of options. Ever since that Cullen kid and his strange family had moved, Bella seemed like a total recluse. I was glad that the school had a couple days off; I didn't think Bella would want to fall behind.

My hand shook harder as the answering machine kicked in …

_Hi!" _The machine said, enthusiastically, _"you've reached Reneee and Phil! We can't get to the phone right now, but leave a message and we will call you back!"_

_BEEP!_

_Here goes nothing!_

"Umm … hi—hi Reneee, this is Charlie," boy, did I sound pathetic. "I know th—this is kind of strange but … well … er, I don't know exactly how to say this. Please call me back. It's important. It's about Bella. Something's wrong."

_Click._

I hung up the phone.

"Well," I straightened up, "that's done."

There was a heavy knock at the front door.

I heaved a sigh; I knew who was knocking. I quickly straightened myself up and headed to the front door. I reached for the door handle and twisted, the door opened, and there stood my visitor: Dr. Gerandy.

"Hello, Charlie," he said, his voice seemed to match my mood. It was almost as though the depression was flowing all over the town now. I nodded and motioned for the doc to come inside. As he passed me, I glanced outside. _Damn Washington weather, raining again._

"Doctor Gerandy," I greeted him, and I led the way into the living room. We sat down and a moment of silence captured us. The doc finally spoke up.

"So, Charlie," though he was sad, his voice seemed cheery, "why did you call me out doay?" He looked me up and down. "Are you sick?"

"No, Doc," I said, shaking my head. "I'm worried about Bella."

The doctor's face was immediately full of questions; I didn't know if I could answer them all. Part of me wasn't sure if I wanted to.

"Bella," Dr Gerandy's voice was immediately interested. It was just a few days ago that he had been summoned after she went missing, "What seems to be the trouble?" He glanced quickly around the room and took an inventory of everyone in it. "Um…Charlie, where is she?"

"Oh, Bella's upstairs," I answered; I was curious why he was looking at me so strangely.

"Well," the doctor said, starting to get up, "I should probably go up and see her."

The Doc going to see Bella; what if he scares her or what if she gets the wrong idea…

I immediately jumped up and held my hands toward him defensively.

"Whoa Doc," I said sternly, "I don't know if that's such a good idea."

Dr. Gerandy looked at me like I was the stupidest guy on the planet. Maybe I was, but I didn't want to scare Bella. She might think…well, I didn't know what she'd think, but I wanted to keep her as comfortable as possible.

"Charlie," Dr. Gerandy spoke very slowly, as if he were talking to a man with a grenade, "I have to see her to examine her; I have to examine her to diagnose her." I think the Doc's sarcasm was a little overkill.

"I'm not an idiot, Doc," I said gruffly, "I know you're trying to do your job. It's just that…Bella's in a fragile state and I don't want to make her nervous."

Dr. Gerandy's face spoke his understanding. "Well Charlie," he spoke, a bit humored, seriously "since I can't see the patient, will you at least tell me what's wrong?"

I breathed deeply and nodded my head; this was going to be the hardest part.

"Well doc," I said, slowly, "it's been three days since…since she got lost. There have been some changes since then."

The doctor seemed intrigued already; "go on" was all he said. I swallowed and felt my stomach begin the turn as the memories came to me.

"The change began the following day. I went in to check on her, in the morning, to make sure she wasn't sick or anything. Doc, I found her lying on her floor, eyes open, not moving. I was so worried, I thought she was dead, but I reached down and felt her heart beat and I heard her breathing. So I picked her up and put her in bed, thinking she'd get up later and move around. Maybe she just needed to sleep it off. I ran to work to pick up a few things and sign some papers. I was gone maybe 2 hours, I came home and, Doc, my house seemed like a ghost town; it hours, I came home and, Doc, my house seemed like a ghost town; it seemed empty, lifeless. I ran upstairs and there was Bella, just as I had left her, she hadn't moved one inch."

I breathed, and focused my thoughts. I rubbed the upper part of my nose.

The doctor just stared and said, "continue."

"Everyday it's the same thing; she's also stopped eating. I tried leaving food and water in her room but she won't touch it. She won't budge from that position. She just lies there, almost like she's dead. Doc, I don't know what to do." I put my head in my hands and I could almost feel the tears well up in my eyes. _No, _I thought to myself, _I won't cry, I have to be strong_ _for Bella. _When I looked up again, I met the doctor's gaze.

"Charlie," he said calmly, "I need to see her. I won't examine her; I just need to look at her. I'll stand in the doorway, if it's more comfortable, but I must see Bella."

I looked at him and slowly nodded. I knew it was necessary, but I didn't know if it was a good idea. Every time I walked in her room, I felt like a small part of me died a little. The sight of my daughter laying there…well it didn't bring a smile to my face. We stood up at the same time and I started up the stairs. Although it seemed forever to me, we reached Bella's door relatively quickly.

"Charlie," Dr. Gerandy whispered to me, "if you could, try to talk to Bella. You know, address her and attempt to get her to talk to you. I need to get an assessment of her reactions."

I nodded again, not sure what he was talking about, and slowly opened the door. I might as well have been opening the door to a tomb. The room was dark, despite the windows; the dark clouds had completely blotted out the sky. Bella was just where I had left her. She lay on her side, covered in the blanket I had draped over her. I slowly walked to her, my heart falling deeper with every step; I glanced over my shoulder to make sure the Doc had made good on his promise. He had, he stood at the doorway, watching my every movement.

"Bella honey," I sat down next to her, slowly, "Bella, can you hear me?" No response. I brushed her hair off her face and tried again. "Bella, it's me, Dad. Its Charlie," I felt my voice quivering as the past memories washed over me. I remembered the very first time we brought her home from the

hospital; I had spoken those same words to her. "I wish you'd talk to me.

I'll be downstairs if you need me."

I glanced at the Doctor, he simply nodded to me.

With that I lifted myself off the bed and retreated to the hallway. I glanced back at her and slowly shut her door. Doctor Gerandy was already on his way downstairs. I didn't know if I wanted to hear what he had to say; I felt so defeated, so helpless. I walked slowly to the living room and noticed the doctor was not sitting but pacing, not a good sign.

"Charlie," his voice seemed rushed as I came into view, "I'm afraid this is serious. I judged Bella's lack of response and her sluggish demeanor, given the past circumstances; she's exuding the classic symptoms of what's called a catatonic state. This is normally brought on by extreme depression, post traumatic stress, or Schizophrenia. I don't think you need depression, post traumatic stress, or Schizophrenia. I don't think you need to worry about the last one, though."

I stared out the windows, the rain had retreated to a slow drizzle; it would be just a mist by dinner time. At this moment, I couldn't help but imagine the face of the boy who did this to my daughter. My little girl. Didn't he have a heart or was he truly a soulless inhuman monster as Billy had described? I imagined all the things I could do to him, all the ways I could make him suffer for what he had done to my Bella. Dr. Gerandy grabbed my shoulder and shook me out of my fantasies.

"Charlie, did you hear me?" Dr. Gerandy stared at me intently; I think he was trying to see if I was losing it. He must have seen my blank stare, he sighed and said, "Charlie, you have two options; you can either get Bella into therapy as soon as possible or…consider the possibility of letting professionals step in."

At that moment my mind went red; in that moment Chief Swan disappeared and the big Papa bear took over.

"Therapy…professionals?" My voice rose drastically and I began to feel the blood rush to my face, "MY DAUGHTER IS NOT CRAZY! YOU WANT ME TO SEND HER TO PROFESSIONALS? WHY? SO THEY CAN LOCK HER UP AND THROW AWAY THE KEY? JUST ANOTHER CASTAWAY OF SOCIETY?"

I clenched my hands into tight fists as I glared at Dr. Gerandy. The thought of little Bella; my little angel in a padded room did more than offend me; it angered me to a dangerous level. Doctor Gerandy stared at me with wide-eyed shock.

"Charlie, please," he begged and attempted to calm me down, "you know I would never, ever wish something like this on Bella. I'm just giving you my opinion, as a doctor."

I was past reasoning and past understanding.

"IF YOU DON'T GET OUT OF MY HOUSE RIGHT NOW," I marched towards the man who wanted to lock away my baby, "THEN I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR OPINION."

Dr. Gerandy's mouth dropped open but he didn't contest my words. He quickly gathered his things and showed himself out, slamming the door behind him.

"The _nerve _of some people," I muttered angrily, as I sat on the couch; my heart was pounding hard. I turned the TV on; I needed to relax. The Seahawks were playing Dallas; this should help calm me down.

Suddenly the phone rang. _Of course._ I lifted myself up and headed to the phone, "hello?" I demanded,

impatiently.

"Uh…um…hello Chief Swan," the boy's voice was obviously nervous; I must sound really angry.

"Who is this?" I demanded again; _I just missed an interception at the 10 yard line this better be important, _I thought angrily.

"Uh this is Mike…er…Newton, sir," he said. I took a deep breath and attempted to calm down. Mike had always been a good friend to Bella. He had helped make her first day at Forks High School bearable. His father had helped make her first day at Forks High School bearable. His father was also a pretty good friend of mine; I didn't care too much for him mother though, nosey gossip.

"Oh Mike," I said, my temper now retreating, "What can I do for you, son?"

"Well, uh…I was calling to speak to Bella." He said, still nervous. _All right, _I thought to myself, _I'm calm now, why is the Newton kid still nervous? _Maybe he was just nervous all the time; kids today…

"I'm sorry Mike," I said, apologetically, "she's not feeling well, do you want to leave her a message?"

"Oh, well I…and my parents, were wondering if she's still gonna work this weekend," he said, quickly.

I sighed deeply, I wish she was.

"I don't think so Mike," I said slowly, "she's really sick."

"Oh, I'm sorry 'bout that Charlie," he said sadly, "I really hope she gets better soon. Everyone misses her."

"Thanks Mike," I said, feeling a little warmer, "I'll let her know you called. Tell your parents hello for me."

"I will" he said, a bit more confidence in his tone, "thanks Chief Swan, goodbye."

We hung up and I sighed, I'm glad Bella has friends like Mike. _She's gonna need her friends now_, I thought to myself. I was starting to feel a bitbetter, a bit more positive, when the phone rang again.

"Hello?" I answered; my tone was calm and light.

"Charlie, listen, I really didn't…"

Dr. Gerandy's voice reignited the fire.

"DON'T EVER CALL HERE AGAIN!"

I slammed the phone down. I tried to slow my breathing; in and out, in and out.

The phone rang again. _Oh for goodness sake!_

"YEAH, WHAT DO YOU WANT?" I demanded angrily at the unknown caller. The voice that followed almost gave me a heart attack.

"Charlie Swan! Just who do you think you are?" Reneee shouted at me through the phone. I was tongue tied, I tried to respond, but she cut me off. She always cut me off. "Do you think its right to ask someone to call and then yell at them the moment you answer? Do you?"

_What do I say?_

"…no." I muttered, the only reply that seemed accurate.

"No, it's not!" she angrily agreed with me. "Now will you please tell me what's going on? Why did you say something was wrong with Bella?"

I took a deep breath and began.

"Reneee," I said slowly, "something pretty bad has happened."

"Okay Charlie," she said, impatiently, "are you going to tell me what's going on, or did you just want me to call so you can yell at me?"

"Do you remember…_Edward Cullen,_" I asked, feeling my anger rise when I uttered his name.

"Edward," she said thoughtfully, "that's Bella's boyfriend, right? He's the son of the doctor in Forks. They came to Phoenix back in the spring, when Bella had her accident; what about him?"

"Well," I said, slowly, "he broke up with Bella and him and his family left Forks for Los Angeles."

"Oh," Renee said, and her voice softened, "poor Bella. How is she? Wait, why are you tell me this Charlie? Where's Bella? Put her on." I sighed and hung my head at Renee's request. "Charlie? What are you waiting for? Let me talk to my daughter."

"Renee," I said, letting the sadness invade me fully. "There's something very wrong with Bella."

"I'm listening Charlie," she said, anxiously. I proceeded to tell her the entire story: Bella and Edward breaking up, the Quileute boys finding her in the forest, her current condition, and the opinions of Dr. 'Jerk-andy,' I mean Dr. Gerandy. "I don't know what to do," I said, "I feel so helpless."

Renee did not speak. I had started to wonder if the connection had been lost, when I heard her sigh in a heavy, angry tone. "I will not condemn my daughter to a mental institution." I knew I would not argue with her. We were on the same team here.

"What should we do?" I asked. I heard her inhale and sigh once again; I knew that sigh.

"I'll be up next week," she said in a firm tone, "you've done so wonderful Charlie. Really, I am sure I speak for Bella when I say you've exceeded our expectations. But it's my turn again; I'm coming to get my daughter."

My heart sank as I heard those words but we both agreed Bella needed to leave Forks; she needed to leave the state of Washington. We made arrangements for Renee to come down the following Monday. Though the idea was what was best, I couldn't help feel saddened by this decision. True, Bella would be in the sun and possibly get better, but I knew if she left I would never see her again. Unless I was to visit her in Florida, my angel wouldn't be here to look out for dad anymore. I would be all alone, again. I suppressed tears, forming in the corners of my eyes. _No, _I thought to myself, _no this is what's best. This will help her heal._

The days following were not worse, but still bad. I didn't know if she was coming out it, or her body had just switched to a temporary autopilot, but she started a little bit at a time. I also saw her sitting in her chair, just staring out the window. I let her be and crossed my fingers, hoping she would snap out of it before Renee arrived. I didn't want to lose her; she brought a little sun in my life. But I had never had much luck.

Monday morning arrived and with it came Renee. She was much different than I last remembered her. She had grown out her hair and it seemed like she lost some weight_. I guess that's what happens when you're_ like she lost some weight_. I guess that's what happens when you're_ _married to a jock_, I thought bitterly. She was very sweet and nice, given the situation. I immediately took her upstairs to see Bella. Renee almost had a fit when she saw our daughter, still lying on the bed.

"Oh Bella, oh honey, I'm so sorry!" She sobbed and kissed Bella's forehead. She turned to me and we both shared the same acknowledgement, this was really happening, wasn't it? We both moved to her closet and retrieved her suitcases, the very ones she brought with her to Forks all those months ago. Renee began folding Bella's clothes and putting them in the suitcase, one at a time. I went to the bathroom and retrieved her toiletries. I winced when I had to grab her…girl products, that stuff always embarrassed me. I made my way, slowly, back to the bedroom and placed the bag near the suitcases.

"If I find anything else then I'll mail it to Jacksonville," I said, feeling awkward just standing there. Renee smiled at me, it was a sad smile. She handed me a slip of paper with their address on it. I took a deep breath; I would have to be the one to carry Bella to the car; my walk of shame.

A few minutes later Renee leaned back, "I think that's everything," she said. She stood up and turned to me. The look in her eyes almost mirrored my own. Renee opened her mouth to say something but was unexpectedly cut off. A very small voice, whispered something on the opposite side of the room.

"…no."

We both turned and were startled to see Bella sitting up and staring at us, glaring at us actually. She had anger and hate-filled eyes.

"Bella! You're-," Renee smiled, but was cut off. Bella jumped up angrily from the bed.

"What are you DOING?" she yelled.

Renee and I were speechless, bewildered. Neither of us had ever seen

Bella in such a rage, and it didn't stop.

"I WON'T DO IT! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME LEAVE! NO NO!" She screamed so loud I thought the windows had cracked. She proceeded to grab her hair and shake her head, screaming at the top of her lungs. Renee and I both had to cover our ears; where did Bella learn to scream like that?

"NO! NO! NO!" Before we could stop her, she snatched her suitcase from Renee and thrust it open. 'I WON'T LEAVE!" Bella reached in and grabbed a handful of clothes and threw them all over the room. When she had emptied the suitcase, she grabbed the second one and repeated her action. "YOU'LL NEVER MAKE ME LEAVE!"

She screamed at us, her voice wavering. She stood up and shook her head again, once again screaming at the top of her lungs. Suddenly, as if someone had hit a switch, her voice came to a halt and she was shaking uncontrollably. A split second later her knees buckled and she fell to the floor. She began to cry hysterically and beat her hands on the ground.

Occasionally I heard her babble something like, "…why would he do this to me? …gets to live

forever but not me…"

Renee dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around Bella; their tears were mixing on the ground. I was forced to flee to the hallway; I shut the door behind me. I pushed my head to the wall and let the tears fall down my cheeks. I looked up and thought to myself _thank_ _you, thank you god. Thank you for giving me my little girl back. _My daughter, my angel, was back…


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Three: Eyes Wide Shut**

"What do you think, Bella?" Mike Newton's voice sounded abstracted, distant. Was he saying my name? "Bella? Hello? Earth to Bella Swan?" His words registered slowly. I bent my head in his direction. "Hey, are you okay?"

I scoffed silently to myself at his question. Physically, I was perfect. Dr. Gerandy had given me a clean bill of health, but I was far from okay. In the last few days, a huge hole had been carved out in the middle of my chest. My heart, once the source of life, now hung there like an old, abandoned relic. The wound that remained was a festering ulcer; a wound, exposed to the elements. No. I was not okay, but I was too dead inside to talk about it. I looked at Mike Newton's hopeful face; his eyes were filled with understanding. His baby blue eyes twinkled as he stared across the table at me. In those eyes, I saw someone who would listen to all I had to say … someone who might actually believe me. Some part of me desired to spill my secrets about the vampires who, for a few months, had defined y world and my existence.

The hole began to burn as the memory of the Cullens danced through my mind. My eyes hastily averted to Mike; if I opened my mouth, I would scream in pain. No, I had to keep this bottled up at all cost. As for Mike Newton, all I could do was shrug and look away.

Mike breathed a heavy sigh and returned to his conversation with Tyler and Eric. I let my mind traipse as I attempted to remember getting up this morning. Charlie had said something to me, what was it? I couldn't remember and I didn't care. I didn't remember the drive to school and I certainly didn't remember my classes through the day; my eyes were wide shut. I was seeing everything and seeing nothing at the same time. I put my head on the table and drowned myself in my thoughts. The pain flowed as the memories resurfaced and took control.

"What's wrong with her?" A harsh, high pitched voice whispered. "They weren't even together that long."

Lauren Mallory. In an attempt to apologize for almost killing me with his van, last year, Tyler had asked to take me to prom, which had earned me Lauren's ire. She had a secret crush on Tyler that wasn't so secretive. Everyone in the school knew, but she had too much doubt to make a move.

Prom. That memory brought forth another deep ache that almost debilitated me. The aching sent a surge, like an electrical current throughout my body. Every appendage it passed began to sting and pulse furiously. It was like hitting a funny bone ten times in a row, but this was not isolated. My whole body felt the repercussions of my thoughts. I gripped the edge of the lunch table as the pulsating pain overwhelmed me. Despite the torture, I continued searching my memory. I couldn't help it, I remembered it all: his tuxedo, this way his siblings twirled around the dance floor with each other, and most importantly, the way he had held me. I winced as the ache radiated throughout me. I didn't care. I wanted to remember.

"She's just said," Angela's voice said. "You'd be acting the same way if you ever had a boyfriend."

I was a little surprised at Angela's boldness. She usually shied away from any form of confrontation. Laurent made a disgusted sound and went quiet. My mind began to dawdle again.

I glanced over at the table, where I had first seen _them_: the perfect looking, reclusive family. The hole began to blister my insides as more memories resurfaced. Grabbing my stomach, I looked away quickly. I tried my best to focus on something else, maybe the conversation at hand. The chatter at the table did little to distract me from the agony.

"Hey," Eric said, his face contorted to a look of exuberance. "Did anyone else get a look at the new girl?"

This seemed to capture everyone's attention and the discussion picked up the circumstances were different I would have sympathized with her. It wasn't too long ago that I was the new girl, that I was the topic of every conversation and the center of all the gossip. I was glad that the 'new' phase had faded. Now I was too dead inside.

Staring at the beautiful sunny day outside the window, I listened, out of habit, not curiosity, to the mundane lunchroom conversations. I glanced at their old lunch table: _they wouldn't be in school today, were they here to_ _begin with. _The burning erupted from my chest and I recoiled from my thoughts, temporarily. I was starting to see a pattern; the pain came every time I thought of them or said _his _name. There was little I could do to help that. I would never forget them. I shook my head from side to side, _these thoughts won't help,_ _Bella, _I thought viciously. I desperately wanted to pull myself back to reality. To rejoin my friends in the real world. However, after spending so much time with the supernatural, it was next to impossible.

"I saw her!" Jessica's voice shook me from my stupor. "She seems different. I have never seen someone so pale with black hair before!"

"And have you seen her eyes?" Eric asked eagerly. "I've never seen that color blue before! They're almost like ice blue!"

"I know! She looks like a total freak." Lauren said, bitterly. She never liked the idea of new girls getting all the attention.

"Just because she's different," Tyler spoke harshly, "doesn't mean she's a freak, Lauren."

"Well, I wasn't saying it to be mean." The attempted sweetness in Lauren's voice was both awkward and disgusting in the same moment. I could hear the muffled laughter from the entire table.

"You know who she reminds me of?" Angela said, without thinking, "The Cul-" I noticed her voice immediately cut off. "Uh, Bella…are you okay?

You're kind of freaking me out." It took me half a second to realize that I was staring at Angela directly. I felt the look on my face contort with embarrassment.

"Oh, sorry," I murmured. The whole table stared at me like I was going to spontaneously combust, which forced me to quickly avert my gaze. I couldn't meet their stares without giving away my sadness. Unwittingly, I glanced back in Angela's direction only to find myself caught in her gaze.

Angela's eyes seemed sad and compassionate. My mind began to wonder if she pitied me. _Poor Bella, she was dumped. _I didn't want anyone's compassion and I certainly didn't desire pity. I just wanted to curl up and die. To disappear along with the pain and sadness that now threatened to consume me whole. The burning had receded to a dull ache, but I knew it was only a matter of time. When would the next eruption of pain begin?

When I focused my attention again, I noticed that everyone seemed to be staring at something behind me. They all fell silent for a few moments. It was Mike who finally spoke.

"Is that her?" he leaned in toward Eric and lowered his voice.

"Yep," Eric said, entranced by whatever or whoever he was watching. "I told you she was different."

"Wow," Tyler said, almost hypnotized. "I see what you mean by her eyes."

I could almost hear Lauren roll her eyes.

Although I had a small desire to see the new student, I was too removed from reality to dwell on any subject. I was in so much pain and it was becoming increasingly difficult to hide it. My skin began to shudder as the ripples of agony tore through me. My composure was beginning to break. I began thinking about leaving; just standing up, getting in my truck, and driving until my engine died. I would probably make it to the next town before that happened. _Or_, I thought to myself, _I could start walking into_ _the forest and maybe something would eat me… No, _my brain shouted to me, _do you have any idea what that would do to Charlie? _Charlie, my dad, had suffered so much. I was not going to put him through more pain. _I'm doing this for him…I'm doing this for Charlie. _I was surviving because of him, despite the fact he tried to ship me back to Florida. That still confused me a little. Hadn't I been a good daughter? Since I first moved to Forks, the only trouble I had caused had been fleeing to Phoenix in the middle of the night. I cooked and cleaned, without complaining, and I didn't mind being alone on weekends. _Most fathers would call that a_ _miracle…_

I was sitting there, beginning to ponder all the means of escape that I could take when, suddenly, the new girl walked into my line of sight. To call her pale was inadequate. To call her beautiful was adding insult to injury. Her complexion was many shades brighter than mine. Her skin was almost the tone of fresh milk, it was smooth and unscarred. Her hair was a brilliant onyx color and she wore it tied up in an odd bundle behind her head. She was thin, muscular, like an athlete, and there was something about her that appeared abnormally strong. This girl could definitely hold her own in a fight. Her arms were well defined and her face was pointed, angular, almost cat-like. I saw why they thought she resembled…_the_ _Cullens. Is it possible…could she be a vampire?_

She almost danced as she walked, reminding me of Alice, but yet her walk was very different than the Cullens. While they had walked with confidence and a sense of arrogance, this girl sashayed, like a cat, a lioness stalking her prey. She eyed everything and everyone with a calculating stare. She approached a lunch table, facing us, nonchalant. I immediately took notice of her clothing. The Cullens had always dressed in clean-cut, conservative designers. The clothing that clung to the figure of the new girl was very outspoken. Her clothing seemed to contrast her demeanor entirely. While her walk suggested a sophisticated woman, her clothes reflected a normal teenager.

She gazed around the lunch room slowly, almost taking inventory of everyone and everything in the area. All of my companions turned away quickly. Apparently they remembered that it was rude to stare. I was the only one who continued to gaze at the new student, and I had a reason to.

"Bella," Eric whispered to me. "What are you doing?" I turned slowly to stare at him. "Do you know her?"

"No," I said simply and returned my eyes back to the new girl.

If I had said, "_yes, she looks familiar to me because she's a vampire_…" well, I don't think that they would have handled that very well.

I continued to watch her every move. She reached into her backpack with a smile on her face. Whatever she was digging for, it was entertaining. When her hand reappeared, she was gripping a paper sack. She looked at the sack and laughed, it seemed like a private joke. As she chuckled, I noticed her teeth: they were pointy, white, and perfectly shaped. She had a beautiful smile that only added to the beauty of her facial features. With another quick motion, she reached in and retrieved a plastic bowl from the bag. Smiling deeply, she opened it and smelled the contents with much enthusiasm. Whatever was in that bowl, she was enraptured with the smell of it. If she was a vampire, it would mean the contents of that bowl were…

I was busy deciphering her actions when she suddenly stopped. She placed the bowl on the table slowly; her eyebrows pulled together almost like she was concentrating on something. I could almost see her mouth moving quickly, like she was talking to herself. _What is she doing? _She put both hands on the table, in front of her, and seemed to sigh heavily. She slowly looked up and locked eyes with me.

My mouth fell open in overwhelming shock.

Her eyes_, _the eyes that the boys had been swooning over_…those eyes. _Her eyes were just like the ones I had imagined in the forest._ Could this be a coincidence? _I thought to myself, still staring at this girl._ Am I going insane? What is wrong here? Am I dreaming? Did I die in the Am I going insane? What is wrong here? Am I dreaming? Did I die in the forest? _The questions racked my brain again and again. I didn't realizethat my confusion must have been translating across my face. The girlsuddenly cocked her head to the side. My memory sparked again. Thefigure, in the forest, had cocked its head to the side in that same manner.

_Okay, _I thought to myself, _it's official, I'm crazy._

I locked eyes with the new girl one more time and she smiled. It was a small crooked smile. She seemed to convey a secret, one we both shared. Suddenly the hole in my chest reignited, and I looked away. I turned my attention back to the table and realized that almost all of my friends had left to go to class. Eric and Angela were still sitting, talking about a project, and both looked at me, smiling, as if they wanted me to join their conversation. _I have to get out of here, _I thought anxiously_. _I gathered my belongings, throwing away my trash, and stealthily peeked back at the new girl. She was still staring at me and she was still smiling. I was confused by the way she was looking at me.

_Does she know what I'm thinking? _I wondered what it would mean if she did. Was this a coincidence or was she the entity I saw in the woods? The pain began to attack. It burned, like my heart was being dragged through hot coals. Shaking my head, I focused my thoughts and numbed my mind before it could intensify. I glanced at the clock, I had to get to class. I hesitantly exited the cafeteria, but not before throwing one last longing look at the table that was empty. _The Cullens table…_

I walked sluggishly across the Forks High School campus. I was stalling and in no hurry to get to my next class. As I passed through the halls, so many memories jumped out and screamed at me. A memory of _him _waiting for me beside the gym. "_That_ _Newton kid's really starting to annoy me." _I grabbed the side of the building for support as the wave of agony washed over me. The memory of Edward's voice forced more pain to swim through my veins. _Get a grip,_ _Bella, _I thought reproachfully. I finally made it to Anatomy and took my seat. This was probably the worst yet, I groaned as I looked at the empty seat beside me. I don't know why, but something hit a replay button in my mind, and I was suddenly listening to a previous conversation.

_"Hello. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to introduce myself last week. I'm Edward Cullen."_

What I wouldn't give just to be able to hear him now, I thought sadly to myself. The hole pounded in my chest as I hunched over and retreated from the memory. I placed my head on my desk because the tears were threatening to poke through. I barely heard Mr. Banner enter the room. I was much too busy concentrating on the evaporation of my tears. I didn't hear much of what he said about the lab today and I started thinking that I might ask him if I could be excused. I was positive that I could convince him that I needed to go to the nurse. Mr. Banner was never a fan of crying girls. A fact I had learned when Jessica had cried about her D average a few weeks prior.

I sucked in a deep breath. This has to work. _I can't stay here! _What would be the easiest way to leave…without attracting any attention? The sound of the door opening shook me from my thoughts. I glanced up and noticed of the door opening shook me from my thoughts. I glanced up and noticed the new girl standing beside his desk. Mr. Banner glanced at a slip of paper that she handed to him and he sighed.

"Well, this is unexpected," he grumbled a little and turned to the class. "Class we have a new student. This is, uh…I'm sorry dear, I don't want to mispronounce your name." He looked apologetically at the new student.

The new girl smiled, almost slyly. "Aryana McRae. ARE-EE-ON-A," she said, sounding out almost every syllable in her name. Her voice was crisp and clear, yet sensual. I wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Well, that's an uncommon name," Mr. Banner said, attempting to make conversation with a beautiful student. "I don't believe I've heard it before."

The girl's lips retracted over her perfect teeth in disgust. She lifted one eye brow and leaned away from the egg-shaped man. It seemed she was aware of the intentions behind his comments.

"Well, thank you, I don't believe you shall hear it again," she said, almost snapping at him. Mr. Banner withdrew, realizing what she had already picked up on. It wasn't every day that a teacher attempted to hit on a student.

"Yes, well," he said, embarrassed. "Just find an open seat…oh! There's an open seat next to Miss Swan, over there on the right. Miss Swan?" I was staring and my mouth was a little open. I suddenly realized that he was talking to me. I snapped my mouth shut and straightened a little. "Umm, Miss Swan?"

I nodded and smiled as best as I could. The new girl, Aryana, smiled at me with the same lop-sided smile that she had in the cafeteria.

"All right then. Have a seat, Miss McRae," Mr. Banner said, reasserting his dominance as teacher. "Now, today we are going to be working on the displacement lab. I want both of you to perform experiment, not just one, and I …"

As he spoke, Aryana made her way to the desk and sat down next to me. I attempted to return my attention to Mr. Banner but I couldn't concentrate, not with a possible vampire next to me. After she had settled in, Aryana turned to me.

"Hello, Bella Swan," she spoke with a friendly tone. I turned towards her, my mouth open.

"Uh, h-h-how did you know my name?" I asked, bewildered. A wave of déjà vu washed over me, but I squashed it. I was confused. I had not talked to this girl before and she did not seem to know any of my friends. How could she know who I was? She stared at me with a look of confusion.

"Um, well is that your name?" she asked. "Because if it's not, then I think you have the wrong notebook." I turned to glance at my spiral notebook: BELLA SWAN. Written in huge bold letters, you'd have to be utterly blind not to see that. I sighed and nodded, seeing myself as the idiot I was.

"Sorry," I muttered, not exactly sure what I was sorry for. Sorry for being rude, or sorry for being an idiot. Maybe 'sorry' covered both.

"No need for an apology." She smiled at me and her voice was like pristine silver bells. "I believe I would be a tad startled if a stranger called me by my full name."

I smiled. Her voice was pleasant and very controlled. Her speech seemed dated, perhaps from another time. I stared at her skin, it was pale and smooth.

"Wow," I muttered, not really thinking about what I was saying, "and I thought I was pale."

My eyes immediately darted away to the desk. I deserved anything she said to me after that. How could I be so rude? But she simply laughed. Her laugh was beautiful and elegant, almost like the wind chimes that Renee hung on the porch. I glanced back to her.

"Yes," she said, still laughing, "I'm allergic to the sun."

I had to at least attempt a smile after that comment. That was the same excuse that I had used as a child when the public pointed out my pale skin.

"So, who are you?" I asked. Until fifteen minutes ago, I hadn't heard of any new students. Then again, I didn't really hear anything. My ears had just about shut off. "I didn't hear about a new student." A lie...almost believable.

She smiled revealing rows of perfect teeth. Her smile was beautiful, breath-taking…dazzling. I was forced to shake my head to concentrate again.

"It was sort of a last minute decision." She sighed, a touch of displeasure appeared behind her eyes. She untied her hair and it fell down her shoulders like an ebony waterfall. "You know how these things go, family decides something is best for a few of them and automatically it's the best for everyone."

I could hear the agitation in her tone, she was not happy about this move.

"So," I attempted to change the subject, "where did you move here from?"

"Sudbury. Ontario," she said, with a smile. "I miss Canada."

_Wow. Canada. _Canada had always seemed like a distant dream to me: more like a nightmare. I hated anything cold and wet. She proceeded to tie her hair back up in a mock ponytail. Her hair looked soft, almost like it was treated by a professional every day.

"What do you miss about it?" I asked, attempting to look interested. "Isn't it really cold and snowy?"

Aryana smiled and it seemed like she was remembering something, something far away. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. When she opened her eyes again the light danced across her pale blue eyes. "It's not terribly wet, at least not in the area I lived in. There's white snow and crisp, clear mornings. The sky is a beautiful shade of blue, even during snow storms," she said, with a huge smile, "I guess you could say that I fit in there."

I smiled but my mind had slowly wandered to my suspicions. _Could this girl be a vampire_, I thought to myself. Is my luck just such that with thedeparture of one family, another takes their place? I shuddered andscolded myself internally. _They could and would never be replaced_. Theywere the first and only family for me. I began to think about them, despitethe pain in my chest. I remembered the blonde, youthful-looking andcompassionate patriarch of the family. I remembered the short, pale, butloving matriarch. I remembered the brothers, strong and muscular butsweet in their own ways. I remembered the sisters, pale and beautiful.

Then there was him. He stood over 6 feet tall, tussled bronze hair, amber eyes, pale skin, and a face that would break the hardest of hearts. The hole singed my chest and I was completely unaware that it was apparent on my face. Then I heard a voice next to me.

"Bella," Aryana's voice was concerned, "are you in pain?"

I glanced at her, realizing that a tear was starting to descend the curve of my cheek. I reached up with my sleeve and wiped the stray away.

"No, I'm fine." I was always a terrible liar. "Stomach ache. So tell me…"

I smiled an unconvincing smile, in an attempt to change the subject, and turned back to the lab assignment. I was suddenly shocked to see the lab worksheet had already been filled out. My name as well as Aryana's was artistically written atop the paper.

"How did you finish this?" I asked, confused. "I didn't even see you start the lab."

Aryana smiled, a little smug, and shrugged. "I figure it would give us more time to chat," she said. "You were saying?"

I shifted a little in my seat before returning my attention to her. I studied her, looking for familiar vampire traits. Her skin was pale, just like _his_. Her beauty was even close to surpassing his sisters'. But it was her eyes that confused me to no end. Normally vampires had either red or amber colored eyes. I shivered as James' crimson eyes appeared in my memory.

"Umm…uh…oh I was going to ask," I said, still confused. "What was the reason your family decided to move?"

Aryana let loose a small, cynical giggle. I could see I struck a nerve.

"That's a little personal, Bella," she said hesitantly.

I nodded, a little embarrassed, and quickly averted my rapidly flushing face. She must have sensed my sudden bashfulness, or caught a glimpse of my blushing.

"Let's just say…I'm not a coward and I have never been one to back down from a fight."

A million questions popped into my head. But rather than fire them off at her, I just nodded and retreated into my mind. _Who wanted to fight this_ _girl_, I thought to myself. _Could there be something else going on inside_ _Forks? Maybe this girl knows The Cullens. _I continued on with these questions and suspicions until I realized the room had gotten darker. The sun, had been shining all day, suddenly disappeared. Outside dark, heavy clouds rolled in.

"Oh no." I heard her groan next to me. I turned to stare at her, a little confused. She turned to me, with an annoyed expression. "It's raining. I thought I would at least get a few more hours of dry weather. I glanced outside at the sheeting rain. There was now a thin curtain between me and the outside world.

"I have an idea. How about I ask you some questions, Bella?"

"Um, ok," I said, a little wary. Was I comfortable with talking to this girl?

"Ok, first, how long have you lived in Forks?" Aryana asked, dazzling me with her smile. "You don't seem to have the same cheery disposition as the others."

I attempted to smile, but I wasn't successful. "I've been living here for almost a year," I said, my voice sounding matter-of-fact, like I was answering an interrogation. "My mom re-married and I decided to come live with my dad for awhile. I visited here almost every summer when I was younger." Aryana seemed completely involved in my story and it almost seemed like she was taking mental notes.

"How old are you, Bella?" Her words brought back another sense of déjà vu that I tried my best to ignore.

"I'm 18," I said, once again, in a matter-of-fact tone. "How old are you?" I didn't expect her to answer that. It would've been way too easy.

"You really don't seem 18," she said. Her lip twisted to the side of her mouth, almost like she was thinking something enigmatic. Her features relaxed and she leaned into her chair a little more. "So do you own any pets?"

"No," I said, a little perplexed, "Charlie doesn't really have to time to look after a pet, neither do I." I looked at her and she seemed to be extremely entertained by my answer. She casually looked at her notebook and laughed to herself. What was so funny? She turned her head back to look at me again, still laughing.

"So," she spoke and her face dropped the happiness and became serious. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

The question cut me to the core, and immediately I wanted to get up and leave the room. I knew I had to answer though.

"No," I said with a touch of sadness. I glanced at Aryana's face; she had noticed my change in temper.

"I'm sorry, Bella," she said quickly. "I hope I didn't offend you." She leaned forward in an attempt to catch my eye again.

I glanced at her and then down at my hands. Why was she trying to be so friendly towards me anyway? What was it to her? While I continued stewing in my anger, I saw the sun break through the clouds for an instant and the ray of light lingered on Aryana's arm for a short while. I quickly turned to catch what I hoped to see; her skin shining like a million diamonds. However, her skin was just pale under the bright sun. I began to get a little frustrated with this, almost a little angry. Is she a vampire or not? The class bell rang loudly. I jumped in surprise. I was out of time, but I had to think of something. I doubt that she would openly admit to anything I would ask her. Or maybe she would, I could always try.

"H-h-hey, umm, Aryana," I said, warily. "C-c-can I ask you something?" I stared at her, unprepared. Her face was serious with almost no expression.

"Hmmm," she paused before leaning toward me. "On one condition." Her serious expression was unnerving.

"What's that?" I asked, my voice sputtered as I spoke.

"Will you s-s-stop s-s-stuttering?" she asked, a smile appearing across her face. "I am not going to rip your throat out if you offend me."

The comment made me tense up. My breath caught in my throat causing me to cough. Aryana lifted one eyebrow in response to my sudden expectoration. Seeing her concern I attempted to smile.

"Um, ok," I said, slowly. "Is there anything different about you?" The words came out slowly and jumbled. I could barely follow them.

"Different," she said, half questioning, half pondering the word.

"Well," I started again, more confident now. "You know, is there something about you that most people wouldn't see. Something that maybe someone could see if they knew what to look for?"

Aryana looked at my face, it seemed like she was attempting to read me, or maybe she saw something behind my eyes that I wasn't aware of. She finally exhaled and shifted her weight. "Well," she said slowly. "That would depend."

"Depend? Depend on what?" I asked, curiosity brimming.

Aryana leaned in toward me, her face dark but humorous.

"On who's looking," she said with a hint of mystery in her voice. She flashed me a dazzling smile, picked up her backpack, and glided away from me. I watched her walk away. I was utterly confused. She stopped at the door and glance back at me. She seemed to be hesitating with something, but she turned around and left the classroom.

I stared, my mouth open. _'What,' _was the only word I could think of.

By the time I left the school, everyone was already gone. I sat in my truck and attempted to review the day, but could hardly put things into place. Even parts of my conversation with Aryana were fading into the background. However, I couldn't help but think about what she had said to me. _'That would depend…on who's looking.' What does she mean? Does_ _she mean that everyone has their own point of view? That every person_ _would see something different? Or could she be implying that if a person_ _had certain knowledge, they would see something that no one else_ _could. Was I that kind of person?_

My mind raced with many different thoughts and finally, I threw my hands up in frustration. If she was a vampire, why didn't her skin glitter the way Ed…the way his had? Maybe she had a special ability. _Could that even_ _be possible? _I wasn't aware of what I had been doing, but I suddenly realized that I was parked in front of my house. My hands were gripping the steering wheel very stiffly. I let go slowly as I reclined in my seat. A sigh escaped my mouth and it echoed through my entire body. I let my head fall into my hands. What was I doing? Was I really so obsessed that I would think this new girl was a vampire? Was I so desperate for proof? As if I had pressed replay again, another memory sparked.

_It'll be as if I never existed…_

"No!" I yelled inside the cabin of my truck as his words echoed in every corner of my memory. I refused to let that happen! I had to hang on, had to continue to remember. I refused to let go of my memories. They were all I had left… I got out of my truck and headed into the house. I was on a mission: I would not let him go without a fight. My stomach was growling for food but I didn't feel the pain. My hunger was gone. I hadn't realized that I had not eaten anything since... I didn't care. My hunger for understanding and for my memory was stronger than my body's weak desire for sustenance.

I stared at the living room, at the empty chair that had once held his perfect form. I sat down slowly and curled up on the chair. I let my nostrils fall to the fabric and inhale deeply. I was searching for any sign of his sweet, delicious scent: the aroma that would temporarily heal my wounds. Nothing. My disappointment added to the pain that was crushing my insides. I held my stomach and cried out. I didn't feel the fall to the floor below me, I only felt the increasing pain of alienation. I curled up into a ball, hugging my stomach, and once again I let the pain swallow me. I let it consume me whole and let the carved opening gnaw and sting me. Wave after wave, the agony buried me deeper and deeper. I wrapped my arms around my knees and pulled them tightly. Shutting my eyes, I submitted to the anguish and conformed to the misery that fuelled this torture.

I didn't think about how long I was there until I heard Charlie pulling up the driveway. I refused to let him see me like this. I had to be strong around Charlie. I owed him that much. I picked myself up off the ground, a difficult task in itself. My body almost refused to respond as I attempted to rise from my grief. I could almost hear Charlie's footsteps crossing the yard towards the front door. I had maybe a minute before he would walk through the front door. I couldn't let him see me like this, not if I wanted to stay in Forks. The thought of leaving—sent away from all that reminded me of him—gave me a burst of strength. I heaved my body off the carpet and found myself darting up the staircase. I could almost see form from above; this was not me. I shut the door to my room just as Charlie turned the doorknob.

"Bella?" he called, his voice was wary and cautious. I was not unfamiliar with this tone. He had used this ever since…well, since I was found. I usually called to him, letting him know I was home. At the moment, I didn't know how to respond. I was still so consumed by my grief that if I answered I would release all my pain through my voice. Then there would be no stopping him, he'd pack me up and send me to Jacksonville to live be no stopping him, he'd pack me up and send me to Jacksonville to live with Renee and Phil. I don't think I could stand living with a perpetually happy couple 24/7. I briskly hurled my body on the bed, quickly covering my face with a pillow. Moments later there was a light knocking on the door. I heard the hinges of the door squeak open and then footsteps across my floor.

"Bella," Charlie's voice was soft, and still wary. "Are you all right, sweetheart?"

I said nothing. _Bella, you have to talk! _I started to debate internally on what to say to my father. _It doesn't matter, if you don't say something he's_ _going to…_I couldn't finish that statement. I didn't want to think about what Charlie would do. _It's now or never, Bella! _I sighed and finally spoke, my face still covered by the pillow.

"Hi, dad," I said, my voice sounded dead and muffled through the feathery pillow. Charlie breathed a sigh of what seemed like relief. He had always been on awkward around me, but ever since _they _left he had been

increasingly nervous. I had a sneaking suspicion that he thought I might be a tad suicidal. I wondered if his suspicions were far from the truth.

"How was your day, sweetheart?" Charlie asked the same question every day, his voice always probing. I silently sneered at his question. I felt like screaming at him: _No! Everything is not okay! I have lost everything that_ _ever mattered to me! How can you even ask me that! My entire life has_ _been taken away from me! Would you be okay if that happened?_

The hole in my chest began to seethe and I felt a wave of pain rush over. The pain was so intense, and I instinctively grabbed my stomach and cried out a little in pain. That was a mistake.

"Bella!" Charlie said, worry and anxiousness brimming in his voice. "What is wrong with you? Are you sick? Are you hungry?" I felt his hand on the pillow.

I knew that I was not going to get rid of him by saying nothing. I gathered what little strength I had left and took a deep breath. "No, dad," I said, taking the pillow off my face slowly. "I'm not sick. I'm just hungry and I have a headache.

"Bella," he said, slowly. "Is everything all right…do you…want to…uh…?" Charlie's demeanor changed as he began to stutter. "Is there anything… that…you want to…uh…talk about?" This was just what I wanted to avoid with him. I wanted to disappear and hide somewhere. I didn't want to talk about it.

"No," I said, flatly. I slowly turned my back towards him and closed my eyes. I heard Charlie sigh heavily and felt his weight lift off the bed. I heard his footsteps trail across the floor before the door closed softly.

Breathing a deep sigh of relief, I sat my body upright and put my head in my hands. I couldn't stand anymore today. The tears finally broke through like storm water breaching a levy.

_Oh Edward_, I thought sadly, _why? _I grabbed both sides of my head, both my hands full of hair. I shook my head again and again. _I have to get_ _these memories out_, I thought to myself hysterically. I fell back onto my bed and shut my eyes. Images flashed behind my eyelids; painfully beautiful memories returned. They passed through my mind like a slide show. Each picture caused a unique ache that I felt…everywhere.

I can't remember when I fell asleep, but sometime during the agonizing mental picture show, I fell into an uncomfortable slumber. The images began pouring in at rapid speed, but I could see them all clearly. Laying in the meadow with him. His beautiful eyes staring at me, as we danced at prom. The sound of his voice as it said my name: Bella.

_"You are my life now," _his voice danced across the confines of my mind.

I felt myself in his arms, I could smell his aroma, and I could feel his breath on my face. I felt his arms tighten around me and his face lowered to my level. I glanced up slowly and met the gaze of my love. The owner of my heart, my soul, and my everything. He smiled at me with my favorite smile.

I heard his voice speak my name, _'Bella.' _I turned my eyes to him again, his smile had faded. He stepped away. No, no, not this again. _'Bella you're not good for me.'_

That did it.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: Repost.<em>


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: The Arrivals**

"BELLA! BELLA! WHAT'S WRONG? BELLA ANSWER ME!"

Reality was harsh in the morning. I was awoken by Charlie's shouting and vigorous shaking. Then I heard the screaming. I had heard it in my dreams, and now, it echoed in my brain. It took me a couple of seconds to realize that the screaming was coming from me. Once I realized it, I shut my mouth with my hands. Charlie leaned back on my bed and stared at me shocked and bewildered. I could feel the warm tears streaming from my cheeks, and my bed was shaking like there was an earthquake. It was me, trembling.

"Bella, are you all right?" Charlie asked, inspecting me to see if I had been hurt. I stared back at him, afraid to move my hands. _What happened? _I could barely remember the dream that had shocked and terrified me. I could only remember the screaming. The dream had been filled with terrible, loud and painful screams. Sensing Charlie's growing suspicion, I threw my hands up.

"Sorry, Dad." I was surprised at the decibel my voice reached. "I—I was having a really bad nightmare." I stared into the darkness of my room and attempted to steady my breathing. The memory of my dream pushed into my mind. I remembered the beauty of his skin, the color of his eyes, and the gloriousness of his voice. He had always seemed too surreal. That's when it hit, a painful blow direct from the hole where my heard had once been. I grabbed my chest, not thinking, and hunched over in pain, gasping for air. My cover was blown.

"Bella? Are you hurt?" Charlie grabbed at my shoulders. "Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" He seemed overly concerned. I guess I wasn't really surprised, especially since … everything.

"No, Dad. I think I'm okay," I said in between my heavy breaths. "I think I have a stomach ache or something." I was always a terrible liar, everyone and their mother knew it. I glanced up sheepishly and met Charlie's wary stare. I had to think of something to say, fast, or I was going to Forks Hospital. "Dad, you know if we go to the hospital, you'll have to talk to Dr. Gerandy." I knew that would work. Charlie had been avoiding Dr. Gerandy since he had come to examine me after they had _found_ me. Renee told me they had gotten into a disagreement, and Charlie had been too reluctant to seek him out. He felt really bad about it, but was too prideful to change his mind. I could tell that fighting with an old friend was really bothering me.

"That's not the point," Charlie said, attempting to take control. "If you're not feeling well, then I really want to have you looked at. I don't want to wait and see if it gets worse." He was genuinely concerned, but I was not about to let him drag me to the hospital.

"Yeah right, Dad. You just want them to think I'm crazy so they'll lock me up!" I said in a sarcastic tone. My attempt at humor failed. Charlie looked like I had said the worst thing in the world to him. His lips pulled back to a grimace, his eyes widened, and he gasped slightly. Charlie Swan's face was horrified. He reacted like I had said I hated him. Seeing my error, I rolled my eyes and said, "Dad … kissing," but my tone proved otherwise.

Charlie glanced at the floor and then rose off the bed. "Well, you seem like you're okay now," he said, not looking at me. "You should try and get some more sleep."

I glanced at the clock; it was 6:15 am. "I think I'll just get up," I said, more to myself than him. "I don't think I could fall asleep again. Do you want breakfast?" I turned around and he was gone. I heaved a sigh. I wish I could make him understand. I immediately shook my head. Understanding would require talking about it, and I was not interested. I stood for a moment, wondering what to do next.

_Well, homework always holds my attention. _I picked up my backpack and unzipped it. I almost cursed aloud. I had forgotten my math book in my locker at school. _The one subject that can take my mind off everything. _I continued to kick myself until I had a strange inclination. I wasn't sure what compelled me to look for my scinence book, but I did. I picked up the book and opened the front cover. There, sitting between the binding and the first page, was what appeared to be a note. It was written on clean paper. I opened it, and my mouth dropped open.

**Bella,  
>It was wonderful to meet you. I look forward to our next interlude with great expectations. I hope you have a chance to meet the arrivals. –A<strong>

She had left me a note. But how? I had been talking to her the majority of the class. When did she have the time to slip it inside my book? _Could she be a vampire? _No. She had been out in the sun. Her skin should have lit up like a million crystals in the sunlight. Or, was she something different? Maybe she had a special ability, like Ed—

The hole began to burn and sting just like before. I leaned back against my bed as the hurt crippled me. I pushed these thoughts to the back of my subconscious and headed towards the bathroom. I took an unusually long time in the shower, although it turned out to be only a few minutes. I was giving myself an internal pep talk. I reassured myself that I could do this. I could get through the day. I got out and stared at myself in the mirror.

_Another day being ordinary Bella Swan, nothing will happen. _

I brushed my hair and pulled it up into a half-ponytail. I returned to my room and grabbed the first clothes I could get my hands on, which happened to be jeans, a white long sleeve shirt, and a heavy hooded sweater. I glanced outside, it was raining of course. It would probably be cold, too. I sighed and dressed myself slowly. This ritual seemed automatic for me. It seemed like I was looking down at myself, watching from the outside. I felt like I was taking a backseat to my own life. I returned to my backpack

and stuffed the remainder of my homework into one of my folders. I looked toward the computer, realizing that I hadn't checked my e-mail in a very long time. I moved to my desk and turned the ancient machine on. The antique buzzed to life and began connecting slowly to the internet. I took the time to hunt down my shoes and a pair of socks. Once online, I began to check my email. Of course, I had a new message from my Renee.

**Bella,**

**Hi sweetheart, how are you feeling? How is school going? Let me know how you're doing in your classes! I love you! - Mom**

_Leave it to Renee to be so obvious about snooping, _I thought sadly. I had been getting emails like this almost every day since she had come up from Florida. I shook my head, and I felt a hint of a smile on my cheeks. I sighed and decided to write her.

**Mom,**

**School is school, what else can I say? My classes are the same as they have always been. There is a new student in school. I'm her lab partner in Anatomy. She seems nice, but a little strange. Other than that, there isn't anything to report. Sorry. Love, Bella**

I hoped that would get her off my case for a little bit. I hated to feel that way about my mother, but I was just too out of it to care. I searched the web a while, merely out of boredom. It wasn't long before my endless searching began to revolve around a specific topic, _vampires. _I hesitantly clicked on the link for Vampires A-Z. What was wrong with me? Did I like inflicting pain on myself? Was I born a masochist or something? The hole in my chest burned uncontrollably. I was hunched over at my computer, and I could barely breathe. My memory of this website was perfect. I remembered sitting here and researching the story that Jacob Black had told me. Jacob Black. I hadn't seen or heard from him in awhile…not since prom. His father, Billy Black, had offered to buy Jacob's car parts if he would crash my prom and tell me to break up with … _him_. The memory was hilarious, but too painful to make me laugh.

I shook my head, pulling myself from the memory, and looked up at the page that I had clicked on:

**Maerden: An ancient vampire lord, said to have controlled North Africa. He was considered one of the oldest vampires, killed in 755A.D. by an Anamorphous creature. The creature is said to have battled the fearsome vampire and won by carving out Maerden's heart and scattering his pieces around the earth. It is believe by some that the ancient vampire is still alive, but has no solid physical being. It is rumored that he has been tied to the**

**"Illuminati" and the immortal assassins conspiracies.**

My curiosity was heightened. I decided to research these two conspiracies. The first one, the Bavarian Illuminati, was more historical and had references. It seemed like it was some kind of religious movement. How could it be related to vampires? However, the Immortal Assassins (or IA, as conspiracy theorists would call it) were more mystical and interesting.

**Immortal Assassin: A member of the Immortal Assassins Guild. They are mercenaries who are contracted to hunt and kill both immortals and humans. They are lethal warriors and are considered to be the very best of their kinds. IA members can be of any species: vampire, werewolf, shape shifter, or any other creature of the supernatural. Humans are never chosen due to their mortality and fragile nature. Once an IA member is under a contract, they do not stop until their target has been destroyed or they themselves terminated. There is no census, however those lucky enough to survive an encounter have put the total number of assassins at close to 150. This was in 1800, they may have grown since then.**

I was so engrossed in this new discovery that I didn't realize how late it was getting. I glanced at the clock and suddenly realized that I was going to be late if I didn't leave soon. I quickly shut off my computer and grabbed my backpack. I headed out into the rain and hopped in my truck. I put the key in the ignition and twisted, the engine roared to life. While waiting for my truck to warm up, my mind wandered. I remembered the meadow, prom, the first day of school, Port Angeles. I let myself remember everything, and I paid for it dearly.

Within a matter of seconds I was curled up on the front seat of my truck, writhing in agony. I cried out, knowing that no one would answer my call. No one would hear me. I was alone, completely alone. I took a deep breath and clung to the end of the seat. My plan was simple, ride out the pain. That's all I could do anymore. I straightened myself as best I could and pulled out of the driveway. The aching had retreated to a dull twinge, almost bearable.

The drive to school didn't take as long as I thought it would, mainly because I was too busy preventing the pain from resurfacing. When I got there, I noticed a group of my friends standing in the parking lot as always. Jessica, Mike, Eric, Angela, Ben, Angela, Tyler, and of course Lauren were loitering outside. I had noticed that Lauren was spending even more time around Jessica, but that didn't really bother me. Her presence meant that mine would go unnoticed.

I parked my truck on the opposite side of the parking lot and got out, determined not to stop. I didn't have the energy to make small talk. They saw me and attempted to flag me down, I waved, halfheartedly, but continued walking.

I reached my first class just a few minutes before the teacher stepped in. English was a subject that I dreaded, Mr. Marks was prone to assigning novels based on romance and love. My least favorite subjects these days. Why couldn't we read something about death and destruction? Maybe "War and Peace," or "King Richard III," or "Titus Andronicus." Shakespeare knew how to write love stories, but he also

knew a great deal about death and destruction. My eyes darted to the two

seats next to me, the ones that once belonged to my two beloved people.

The burning intensified. I swallowed and my gag reflex triggered. A deep

choking cough exited my lungs, filling the classroom. My cheeks flushed,

and I pushed my head to the desk, to avoid the stares.

I heard Mr. Marks enter the room and explain the next novel we would be starting next week. I groaned deeply when I heard the title: "The History of Love: A Novel".

_You gotta be kidding me! _I started contemplating quitting school when I suddenly heard the classroom door open. I didn't bother to look up. I was sure that it was one of the other students arriving late. Mr. Marks would berate them and then the lecture would begin. Suddenly there was some shifting in the room and some gasps. Moments later I heard the teacher speaking softly.

"Oh, I wasn't aware that there were so many of you," he said. He then spoke loudly, "Class, we have two new students. This is Erickson and Skye McRae." A split second later, a clear and seductive voice filled my ears.

"It's Eric, if you don't mind, sir." The sensual voice sounded humored.

I picked my head up and almost fell out of my chair. At the front of the class, stood two extremely breathtakingly beautiful individuals. The girl was of Asian descent, about 5'7'', black sleek hair, and extremely pale skin. She was thin but muscular. The boy was different. He had shoulder length black hair that was tied into a short ponytail behind him. He was muscular, but not bulky. He had a very lean muscle build. He was pale, just like the Asian girl next to him. But their beauty was not why I pale skin was not why I gawked. I stared at these new students

because of their eye color. Their irises were honey amber, liquid topazes because of their eye color. Their irises were honey amber, liquid topazes set into their features. Their eyes were the same golden color as the Cullens, the eyes of vampires.

"Well, welcome to Forks High School Skye and Eric," Mr. Marks said. "Just find an empty seat."

The two gracefully walked down the aisles and sat down next to me. I turned and glanced at Eric, the strange boy. He turned to me, smiled and winked, before retrieving a notebook and a pen. I was about to do the same when I noticed his companion, Skye, looking at me. She had a smile on her face that reminded me so much of Al-.

The internal pain returned with a vengeance. I curled up and grabbed my chest, wincing at the pain that riveted throughout my entire body. I attempted to breathe, but just ended up wheezing. I could feel the pain sending ripples through my entire body. As I composed myself as best I could, I glanced up and noticed that this Eric and Skye were looking at me curiously. I turned back, embarrassed, and attempted to concentrate on the notes again. My thoughts made that impossible. I almost had a mini breakdown. _Just what is going on? Did the Cullens send them? _I winced

as an excruciating sensation washed through me. _Why are their eyes the same color as the Cullens? Do they know them? What is going on! Or are they really vampires at all? They could just have similar eye color; Yes, that must be it! Their eyes aren't really the same shade as the Cullens. They can't be vampires…can they?_

The class dragged on as Mr. Marks described the next novel slowly. To my dismay, he assigned an essay: 'What is love and what does it mean to you?' I groaned, almost loud enough for him to hear, and put my head in my hands. Finally the bell sounded the end of my torture. I heard the two new students next to me giggling. I attempted to eavesdrop. Suddenly I heard Eric and Skye speaking to each other in another language. From the sound of it, they were speaking German. I silently cursed myself for not taking it as an elective.

"Ist dieses sie?" Eric asked her, almost laughing.

"Ja es ist," Skye replied, giggling still.

"Was denkt sie?" Eric said, shaking his head.

"Ich kann nicht sagen, dass I sie tadeln," Skye said, glancing at me, "Ich glaube es auch."

With that the two laughed and glided out of the classroom. I just sat there, staring after them with an incredulous stare. Were they exchange students or something? Were they vampires, or was my mind playing tricks on me? I glanced outside and noticed the sun was non-existent today. I suddenly realized the next class was coming in. I quickly packed my bag and retreated from the classroom.

The next few of my classes ran together in a blur. My economics class seemed to run together with my Spanish class. The teachers sounded the same, even in a different language. I couldn't really connect with any one of them. I took lots of notes but at the end of the class, I couldn't remember anything we had covered. Finally I reached lunch. I was expecting and dreading this time. I arrived at the lunchroom and sat down with my usual group. I wasn't really paying attention to anything anyone was saying. I glanced over at the table where I had first seen the new girl and was disappointed to see that it was empty. I really wanted to question her about the note she had left for me. There was also something about her, Aryana, which confused me. I wasn't one hundred percent on what that was just yet. I sighed and returned my attention to the table.

Mike had apparently made a bet with Tyler on who could ingest the most hot dogs from the lunch line. The girls were all disgusted with this display, but the rest of the male demographic were ecstatic. I pulled out my Trig book and started studying for the upcoming test. By upcoming, I meant it was in about two weeks. Studying never really hurt anyone. Suddenly a silence overtook the table. Moments later, there was hushed chatter.

"Where did they come from?" Jessica asked, suspiciously.

"I heard that they moved from the Upper Northwestern territories," Eric said, mysteriously. "They seem to be really smart and really good looking. Remind you of anyone?"

"I know," Mike said, ruefully, "they remind me of those uptight Cullens. Some of them even look like them! Did you see their eye color? And don't get me started on that weird skin color!"

It was as if I wasn't even sitting there anymore. I picked up my head and noticed that everyone was looking across the lunchroom. I idly turned and noticed who they were staring at.

In a corner of the lunchroom sat a table full of oddly beautiful students. There were five of them, and Skye and Eric were among them. They seemed to be sitting and chatting with the other three. I took an inventory of the others I had not seen before. There were two additional girls and one boy, all beautiful and angelic. One female had long blondish brown hair that fell past her shoulder. She had an exotic look. Latin maybe? The second female had long jet black hair and sharp defining features. She was thin but looked strong, like the others. The other male seemed young, maybe seventeen or sixteen. He sat next to the second female, their hands interwoven. He was pale with platinum blonde hair. He seemed tall by the way his legs jutted out, even while sitting down, and he was muscular. They seemed to be conversing normally with each other. I noticed they all had the amber gold eyes. The tell tale sign of a vegetarian vampire. Could this be true?

While I wondered if what I surmised was accurate, Aryana walked through the cafeteria door. I glanced at her. She seemed to have an abnormal sense of confidence. I remembered seeing her the day before when she was far from comfortable. When I first saw her, she had eyed everything and everyone that crossed her path. Today, she seemed almost careless.

She walked confidently towards the table of new students and, to my surprise, they all jumped up and greeted her. Skye embraced her, as did Eric. The two other girls kissed her on the cheek and so did the blonde boy. Aryana took a seat in between Skye and Eric and she became enraptured immediately in whatever conversation they were having. I was floored, she looked like them but she did not have their eyes. What was she? Why didn't she have the same eyes like the rest of them? Was it a different diet?

I was thinking and thinking, I didn't even notice that Aryana turned and stared right at me. I jumped when I realized she was watching me. She smiled and waved a little. I turned and started studying again. I would confront her during Anatomy. Lunch passed so slowly, the again. I would confront her during Anatomy. Lunch passed so slowly, the minutes seemed like hours. I figured it was my anxiety. I was nervous about what to say to Aryana. Finally I noticed that everyone was meandering out of the cafeteria. I quickly gathered my things and hurried across campus. I passed several friends who tried to stop me, but I didn't even acknowledge them. If they only knew, but it was not my secret to tell.

I wandered into the classroom and immediately noticed Aryana was already in her seat, smirking at me. I sighed and walked up to the desk. I pulled out the note, threw it on the desk, and looked her straight in the eyes.

She didn't stop smiling, "Oh, I see you got my note." She found that extremely humorous.

"When did you put this in my book?" I asked suspiciously. I felt a little odd about strangers going through my things, especially those that might be supernatural.

"Right before you left class," she said simply. "I wasn't about to give it to you straight, then you wouldn't have let me leave class."

"What did you mean by the arrivals?" I asked, more curious than upset.

"I think that was obvious by this afternoon at lunch," she said, her tone becoming more serious, "when you saw my family." I stopped and thought about what I could say to her. I had so many questions, so little time. "My brother and sister told me that they have class with you in the morning."

"Brother and sister?" I asked. How could they be related? "Are you all adopted? No offense, you just don't look anything alike."

She laughed a little and flashed a brilliant smile at me. "Your power of observation has not failed you yet," she laughed and turned her attention back to her notebook. "We are almost all adopted, with one exception."

"What exception?" I asked, curious. She glanced at the clock and then back at me; it seemed that she was trying to assess if she had enough time to tell a story. I decided to ask a more common question, "How many are in your family?"

"Nine, but only eight are here in Forks," she said, sadly.

I was a little surprised at the number. The Cullens were only seven. I remember Ed—him telling me that large groups were odd. Vampires normally traveled alone or in pairs.

She noticed my stare and continued, "I really wish all nine of us were here; it would make the family feel more…complete." The last part seemed like she was sad, almost hurt by their missing member. Sadness

covered her face; she became aware of it and turned away from me.

"Are you and your family members all…alike?" I asked, awkwardly. How exactly do you ask if a person's entire family are vampires?

Aryana looked at me, almost with suspicious eyes. However, as she stared at me, her questioning eyes melted and she smiled again. "What is your definition of 'alike?'" she asked, curiously.

I glanced at the desk and tried to come up with a reasonable definition without using the words "immortal" or "vampire."

"Well, it seems like almost all of you share the same eye color," I said, using my skills as a terrible liar, "and, well, I've known some people with that color before."

She glanced at me quickly, before laughing. She seemed to relax a little. I decided to try and ask some more questions. "So, yesterday you said something about a family business. What kind of business?"

This seemed to stiffen her more, which was strange. She seemed to think over my question for almost a minute.

"You could call it human relations," she said and turned back to her notebook again. Suddenly the bell chimed, and Mr. Banner entered the class with a huge box. Behind him Mike was carrying even more boxes.

I turned back to Aryana to ask an additional question, but she cut me off. "By the way, call me Ary."

I shook my head, a little confused, but quickly complied. "Okay, Ary."

She smiled at me. "Alright, Bella."

The rest of the class was filled with labs that required only one person, so we were both busy the entire class. The task was simple. We had to identify muscle tissue inside a piece of cow's lung. _Gross, if I have ever hated microscopes more, _I thought bitterly as I continued to glance at Ary. Finally the bell rang, before I could have a chance to say anything to her, Ary was out the door. I sighed and picked

up my books. It was time to face gym. I was relieved to learn that the teacher was out sick, so we got to study for the class period. I kept catching Mike Newton staring at me throughout the class. He seemed to be debating with himself about something. I really hope he lost the debate.

Finally after the last bell had sounded, I retreated across the Forks High School parking lot to my truck. I was pulling out my keys when I glanced up and saw Ary and her family. They were walking down the sidewalk towards two very nice cars. The two girls and the boy from lunch climbed into a green BMW SUV, while Ary, Eric, and Skye climbed into a black sleek Audi. They both started their engines at the same time and sped quickly out of the parking lot. I could have been crazy, but I swore I saw

them all glance at me as they drove away. I turned around and opened the door to my truck. I started the engine and let it idle a little bit.

I drove to Mike's family's sports shop. I had a short shift today and, even though Mike had said he would cover for me, I was going to work. I got into work and slipped on my vest. The afternoon went by slowly due to the lack of business. I was not surprised that the shop was relatively dead. The campers didn't like to head out in the winter weather. After work I headed home, dreading the talk with Charlie. I wondered if he would be hung up on my screaming from the early morning. If that was the case, I would just have to explain that it wouldn't happen again. I really didn't want to have that conversation though. I decided to simply ignore him and hope he would just let it go. I reached home about 10 minutes later and trudged towards the house. Charlie was watching a game with food in front of him, and he was engrossed.

"Hi Dad," I said, almost whispering. "I'm home."

"How was work, kid?" he asked, as if nothing was wrong.

"Fine."

I retreated up to my room and pulled out my homework. I reached for my Biology book and flipped through it. I was hoping to find another note. There was no more luck for me today. I decided it would be better to get my English essay out of the way now. 'What is love and what does it mean to you?'

**Bella Swan**

**Love is any of a number of emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong affection.**

**Love means pain; or at least that is what it means to me. Love is giving someone else the ability to mutilate and destroy you with just a couple words. However in the same respect, they can also build you up higher than the atmosphere. Love is a demanding force that makes you work and struggle through life; however it makes things easy as well…**

I crumpled up the piece of paper before me. _I can write much better than this_, I thought to myself angrily. I sighed and turned to my computer, therelic. I turned it on and proceeded to connect to the internet. While theancient piece of technology buzzed and hissed at me, I looked through the rest of my homeworkassignments. Trig would be hard and time consuming—the way I liked it,English would be painfully annoying, Spanish was not nearly as hard, andthe rest of my classes would be a breeze. I sat back in my chair andthought about today. Though I couldn't remember much of anything, Iremembered the new family. I thought of how they walked and how theymoved; I wondered if they would be just like the…_others. _My computerfinally connected and I checked my email immediately. Of course, I hadanother email from Renee.

**Bella,**

**I am so happy that you are enjoying your classes. Or, well it seems that you are enjoying them. Tell me more about this new girl. Are you two friends? I actually had an interesting conversation with Phil today. You will not believe what he asked me! He asked me how I would feel about having another child. Hello? Does he even realize how old I am? But enough about me, tell me about you.**

**Love you, Mom**

I blinked in surprise. _My mother…having another child? _My mother was always so erratic and nutty about these things. I calmed my nerves as I read her response: _Does he even realize how old I am? _I scoffed softly. My mother has never been 'too old.' I was always the one taking care of her.

I felt suddenly jealous of my mother, of the fact that she had someone who committed one hundred percent to her and would never leave her. Tears welled up in my eyes; I quickly pulled my sleeve across my eyes to dry them. I shut off the computer and headed downstairs to get something to eat. I wasn't hungry, but I had to eat or else Charlie would start to worry. I opened the fridge and grabbed some leftover chicken that Sue Clearwater had brought over. I warmed it up in the microwave and sat at

the table while I consumed it. I was a lot hungrier that I had thought. After I finished the chicken I pulled out some soup and warmed it on the stove. I heard the game Charlie was watching go to a break.

Moments later, Charlie appeared in the kitchen. I was trapped.

"So kid," he said, hesitantly. "What did you do today?"

I glanced up at him from the soup bowl and shrugged my shoulders.

"I went to school, went to work, and came home." I spoke with a dead tone, like I was reading from a really bad book. "That's pretty much it."

"Oh, well okay," he said, a little disappointed. "Well, what about that Jessica Stanley? You two are friends aren't you? Why don't you go hang out with her?" He seemed to be a little too anxious to get rid of me. I didn't feel like going out. I didn't really feel like living either; that was another story. I turned to him and shrugged the same as before.

"No, thanks." I didn't smile, just stared at my food. "I have tons of homework; I think I'll just be up in my room doing that." I could have sworn in that instant, I heard him sigh with disappointment.

Suddenly the announcer on T.V. reported that the game was resuming. Charlie hesitantly retreated in the next room. I quickly swallowed the rest of the soup, threw the bowl in the sink, and retreated upstairs. I had already finished all of my homework, but Charlie didn't know that. I decided, since there was nothing else to do, to get back online. The computer connected a lot faster this time. The thoughts of Ary and her family seemed to push me to the website I was searching earlier. I pulled up the vampire A-Z website and immediately started researching the IA again. They seemed like warriors, in love with the chase, with battle, with fighting. I went to my search engine and typed in "**Immortal Assassin**" and "**McRae**." I didn't expect to find anything of great importance. Maybe I was just looking for reassurance.

A link popped up that said: Immortal Assassin rumors. I clicked on it anxiously. The page that came up was a list of names of those assumed to be assassins. One link caught my eye: _**Lazarus and**_

_**Avarice McRae. **_I clicked and began reading.

**Lazarus and Avarice McRae were vampires in old Irish tales. They were said to be members of a powerful, diverse coven. Though fierce and powerful, they exuded so many levels of compassion and understanding that they were often looked down upon by many nomads. They can be traced for many centuries and across many continents. Their strange ways caused many feuds. They were hunted and persecuted for their alternate beliefs. They were said to have denied their appetite for human blood and relied strictly on the fruit of nature; animals.**

"Lazarus and Avarice McRae," I said to myself, curiously. "I wonder…" I yawned and felt the full impact of my exhaustion. I collapsed onto my bed and stared off into the darkness, wondering about so many things. I wondered if I was right in my speculations about the new family, if what I had just read had any bearing on them and most importantly, I wondered if Aryana…if Ary was something different. Once again, my wonderings forced me into sleep.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: REPOST <em>


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Family Meeting**

The weekend had been extremely uneventful for me. I was either at work, stocking shelves, or at home, engrossed with school work. I noticed that Charlie had taken to canceling fishing trips, so he was around a lot more. This aggravated me to no end; I appreciated my solitude. I missed the beginning of my life in Forks when Charlie hadn't hovered or shown any interest in what I was doing. Now, after the incident with the Cullens and my lack of a social life, he hung around and tried to press me into visiting my friends.

"Dad," I would say, "I have to study." After that I would retreat to my room and stay there. So far, I was caught up on all the subjects that I was having problems with. I had fallen behind for a short time after I was…left behind.

I sighed and glanced out the rearview mirror. My morning commute to school was taking longer than usual. I couldn't quite focus on the task of operating a vehicle. I was too distracted with my own thoughts. _Has it really been almost a month? _I made every attempt to cling to the memory of Edward. However, it seemed to be dim, a fading dream. I sucked in a deep breath as my chest throbbed with pain. The memory, despite the lack of clarity, was still enough to torture me.

I didn't get much sleep anymore. The nightmares had intensified. Every dream centered on an empty forest, an endless green maze. I was running, searching for something that I couldn't find. I shook my head as I felt tears well in my eyes; when was this going to stop? Was this fear of being alone ever going to subside?

I looked up through my truck's windshield at the dull gray sky. _Another rainy day_. I sighed out loud. Well, at least today I could see the strangefamily again. I focused on that as much as I could. I still had not convincedmyself fully that they were, in fact, vampires. _Could it really be true? _Despite all the signs: the golden eyes, the pale skin, the abnormal beauty,I had a hard time accepting their true meaning. I had figured out that_ Edward _was a vampire due to our close contact and Jacob telling me oldmyths. Part of me wondered if I was purposely looking for signs. Maybesubconsciously I was attempting to fill the space the Cullens left behind.

Was that part of me making me desperate?

I pulled into the Forks High School. It was still early, so the parking lot was only half full. As I stomped through the puddles covering the cement, I looked up and saw the McRae family. They were standing by their cars, looked up and saw the McRae family. They were standing by their cars, talking and laughing. The tallest one, Eric, was saying things that were making the others burst into fits of hysterics. I turned my eyes forward, but my curiosity forced me to peek. I sighed as I spotted Aryana. _What are_ _you?_

As if she heard me, Aryana turned and stared directly at me. Her stare was curious and almost suspicious. I couldn't help myself as I locked eyes with her. She didn't smile, and she didn't move. Neither did I. My breathing sped up, and my heart accelerated nervously. The way Aryana stared at me made me uncomfortable. Her eyes seemed to pour over me, dissecting me. A huge crash of thunder diverted my attention. I glanced above and the sky opened up, shrouding the parking lot in a downpour.

I ducked and retreated into the building.

The walk to my first class seemed shorter than usual. I sat down in my seat, waiting for English to start. Skye and Eric glided into the room and took their seats, almost in synchronization. The other students began filtering into the classroom, one-by-one. I saw a few of my friends and they saw me, but it appeared they were keeping their distance. I sighed and looked down at the book: _A History of Love: A Novel. _This was going to be the bane of my existence. Finally, Mr. Marks came in and class started. He began his lecture by assigning the beginning of the required reading, the first five chapters. I groaned when I heard the assignment, but wrote it down on my notebook regardless. The rest of the class was filled with discussions about the book and what we thought of the subject of love. Finally, the bell ended my suffering, and I gathered my books together. When I looked up, Skye and Eric were already gone. I sighed and headed towards the door. Almost as soon as I exited the room, someone called my name.

"Bella," the musical feminine voice called. I turned to see Ary standing against the lockers. Was she waiting for me? She glided toward me and smiled. "How are you doing today?"

"I'm fine, a little tired, but fine." It was strange for her to be here. Was she waiting for her siblings? "Are you looking for your brother and sister?"

She shook her head and laughed. "No, Bella."

"What are you laughing at, Ary?"

Saying her little nickname made her smile even more. "I've made a decision." Her eyes sparkled in the fluorescent lights, and the corners of her mouth were twitching.

"I'm sorry, Ary. Maybe you should start from the beginning," I said, still confused. "You lost me."

"Bella…would you like to eat lunch with my family and me?" she asked formally. "They are all _very _interested to meet you."

The thought of getting to sit with her insanely beautiful family was both intriguing and exciting. _Should I do this? Edward never invited me to eat_ _with his family. This is so strange. _I weighed my options anxiously.

My hesitation made Ary a little nervous. Her eyes darted from side to side, she crossed her arms, and rocked back on her heels "Bella, you don't have to…I mean, if you don't want to."

"S-s-sure, that would be great. I think that would be fun."

Ary's eyes went from speculation to concern. Her narrowed eyes widened a bit, and her brow creased.

I attempted to smile and nodded my head.

"Okay then, I'll see you at lunch. Want me to come find you after class?" Ary asked.

"Sure, yeah, that'll be fine." I said, euphoric. _I was going to be in close contact with the possible vampires!_

"Great," she said with a smile. Without another word, she turned and disappeared in the crowd.

I shook myself out of whatever daze I was in. "Wait! Do you know where my class is?" But she was already gone. How would she know where to meet me?

_Well, this should be interesting. _As I moved to my next class, nervousness overtook me. There was a part of me—a small part—that didn't want the McRaes to be vampires. There was no doubt that every part of my body craved vampire company, but at what cost? The Cullens had left me broken and empty. What would the McRaes do to me?

I made my way through the rest of my classes, anxious to get to lunch. Mr. Varner made repeated attempts to involve me in the class by calling on me for every single answer. I really wished I was invisible at that point. Finally, I got to Spanish, my last class before lunch. Jessica was sitting there waiting for me. This was not going to be good. I could tell that every detail of her weekend was aching to be spilled. Jessica's smile reached from one ear to another. She was sending tremors of excitement through her chair.

"Hey Bella," she said quickly. "How was your weekend?"

"Fine. I just stayed in," I said. "What did you do?"

"Oh my God," Jessica said, in an awe-struck voice. "You mean you didn't hear? Mike and I went hiking, and I swear I saw this huge thing!" I was only mildly paying attention now. "It was gigantic, but I'm not exactly sure what it…" She cut off her story as the teacher walked in, not getting a chance to finish, and I soon forgot all about it.

After what seemed like hours of pronunciation and spelling, the bell finally freed us, and I was almost the first one out the door. I was about to head towards the cafeteria when I heard someone clear their throat. I turned to see Ary standing against the lockers. I gasped in surprise.

"How did you know where I would be?" I asked. "I didn't tell you what class I had."

She bounded next to me and started to guide me towards the cafeteria. "Don't worry about that now. I'm starving."

She started to move faster. We were out the side doors and on our way to the cafeteria when I spotted Jessica and Angela a short distance away. They were staring at us, their expressions incredulous. Ary steered me through the crowd and directed me to the table already full of her family. "Here goes everything and nothing," I heard her mutter as we closed in on them.

_Please don't embarrass yourself, Bella. _I swallowed hard.

We approached the full table casually. My heart was pounding like a drum, and I could feel the flush on my cheeks. Ary turned and threw an arm around my shoulder. "It's okay, Bella. Calm down."

I attempted to smile, unsuccessfully.

Finally, we were standing in front of the god-like family. "Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to Bella Swan. Bella, this is my family…well some of them," Ary said, formally. The group stared at me, friendly but curious. Their golden eyes were glancing between Ary and me. "Well, do I have to do the introductions?" Their posture relaxed and the introductions began.

The first one to stand was the boy with the pale blond hair. "Hello, Bella. It is an honor to meet you." His voice was thick with a British accent. "My name is Dante." When he stood, he was a good six feet tall. His blond hair was smoothed back.

Next was the girl with the raven black hair. She maneuvered beside Dante. "I'm Ira, Bella," she said. Ira had a smooth British accent that complemented Dante's. "It's wonderful to meet you." She smiled deeply as her eyes twinkled in the light.

The third introduction came from the girl sitting beside Ira. "Bella, my name is Melena. I'm so happy to meet you." Melena was pale like the others, but her accent was Spanish rather than British. Like her sisters, Melena had a face and body to die for. However, there was sweetness in her eyes, an endearing compassion. The gaze I saw belonged more to a mother than a teenager. "I see that our Ary has found a friend," she spoke happily to her siblings. They all laughed, as if sharing a private joke.

Melena tossed her sandy blond hair and smiled at me. I immediately made up my mind - I liked Melena.

Suddenly, I felt a hard impact behind me, like a book had been thrown against me. I choked as someone began to hug me extremely tightly. I gasped for air. Whoever it was, they were constricting my lungs.

"That's enough, Skye." Ary's voice was more annoyed than threatening. The hold loosened, and I turned to see the Asian girl, beaming with a brilliant smile.

"I'm sorry. Did I hurt you, Bella?" She smiled as she spoke. "I'm just so happy that you decided to sit with us today! I was hoping it would be sooner, but Ary said we had to wait. I'm not very patient. This is so awesome!" She clasped her hands together and jumped up and down. Her excitement was very contagious.

I started to feel a hopping in my stomach which I could only construe as happiness. I was curious about something that Skye had just said. _"…but_ _Ary said we had to wait…" _This was strange. Was Ary in charge or something? I couldn't help but wonder why on earth they had a conversation…about me.

"That's enough of that Skye," Ary snapped. Maybe Skye had said something I was not meant to know. "I'm sorry, this is my sis-…" she began hesitantly.

Skye cut her off. "I can introduce myself, Ary," she said with a giggle. "I'm Skye McRae, and it's wonderful to meet you, Bella!" She threw her arms around me and hugged me, more gently this time. She let go and turned to the boy standing behind her. "She's here, Eric! She's really here!"

A mental flag immediately rose in my head again. _What does she mean by that? I'm really here?_

Eric walked up and nodded his head. He reached down, took my hand in his and kissed it gently. "It's indeed a pleasure, _mi Bella_." He spoke using a mock Italian accent. "My name is Erickson McRae, but you can call me Eric. It's an honor and a privilege." His voice radiated with a clear crisp diction. Unlike some of his siblings, his normal voice had no discernible accent. Eric McRae was breathtaking, that much was certain. He was tall, muscular, and very elegant. The darkness of his hair, like his sister's, contrasted with his pale skin nicely. His topaz eyes glittered in radiance. However, I was confused by the way he stared at me. Eric McRae looked at me like he was anxiously putting together a puzzle. I shifted

uncomfortably and edged closer to Ary.

After all the introductions concluded, we sat down at the table. Dante and Eric became engrossed in a strange conversation in a different language. The words flowed from their lips like a song. Some of the words sounded Spanish, but others were incomprehensible. As if they could see my confusion, their conversation switched to English.

Eric smiled as he spoke. "All I'm suggesting is limiting the rhetoric that passes between us." He shifted in his chair as he spoke to Dante. "If they cared at all about our colloquialisms, then we'd be sought out for our oratory skills, not the company we keep."

Dante narrowed his eyes as he exhaled. "I did not know that our spoken words were of consequence."

Eric leaned forward towards his brother. "Our own words bear little significance." He smiled and glanced at me briefly. "But what transpires between us and _them _should be brief."

A laugh came from Dante. He closed his eyes and shook his head. "What importance lies in this?"

Eric laughed as well - a sarcastic, coughing laugh. He reclined back and continued smiling. "They do not desire conversation. Our lives have been forfeit, remember?"

_Their lives are forfeit? _I felt my eyes widen as I contemplated Eric's words. _What does he mean that their lives are forfeit? _I had been listening to their entire conversation, confused. It appeared that Eric believed they should not talk as much to someone. However, he had then said their lives were _forfeit? _My heart began to pound as ideas and conclusions traipsed through my mind. The memory of the website, vampire A-Z, reemerged. _Could they possibly be part of that Immortal_ _Assassin group? Maybe they are warriors of some kind. _

Unwittingly, I let my eyes trail to Eric's face.

He caught my stare and laughed out loud. "Or at least, that's how I'd play the game."

"Forgive the conversation, Bella." Ary called my attention away. "My brothers are quite fond of role-playing games." A chorus of chuckles rippled among the other siblings.

"Oh, okay." I sighed a little. _Darn it, she caught me. _I temporarily dismissed my suspicions, but I would not forget them.

Eric abandoned his conversation with Dante and faced me. He flashed a dazzling smile that made my heart pound. "So, Bella, tell us all about you." His eyes twinkled in the light.

I was speechless. What exactly do you tell someone like Eric? The radiance of his beauty dazed me. "Well, what would you like to know?" I was confused. Why did he look so intrigued? Eric leaned forward, both hands cupping his face, and stared wistfully at me.

"Well, do you have a boyfriend?" Eric asked with a smirk.

Ira leaned across the table and frowned. "Honestly, Erickson, behave!"

Melena, in turn, shook her head and frowned.

"I'm curious!" Eric threw up his hands in defense. His voice sounded innocent, but his sisters continued to glare at him. He returned his eyes—smoldering—to me.

"No," I interjected, bitterly. "As I told Ary, I don't have a boyfriend." The statement forced me to recoil. I focused all my effort into concealing the pain. I knew it was there…waiting.

This seemed to make him smile even more. He scooted his chair a little closer to me. "So, Bella," he said, in an alluring and seductive tone, "are you warm?"

_Am I…warm? _What did he mean by that? "I…I…uh…what?" I didn't exactly have an answer to that.

Eric leaned further towards me, his head tilting down. His twin topaz eyes glittered. "Are you warm?" His voice lowered to a whisper now. Unlike Edward's velvet sound, the tone of Erickson McRae sounded much more luxurious: silk.

I was about to answer when I heard what sounded like a growling noise. I turned my head and found Ary staring down Eric. They locked eyes and did not speak. The entire table had grown quiet. I turned my eyes from one to the other. _What is going on? _It appeared that Ary and Eric were having a conversation with no words. Eric cocked his head, and Ary slowly shook her head. Laughing, Eric shrugged before scooting his chair back again. The tense atmosphere diminished, but my nerves were far from calm.

_What did I just witness here?_

"Aren't any of you hungry?" I asked, noticing the lack of lunch. The Cullens always had trays full of food but never ate.

The McRaes looked at each other and then looked back at me. Their smiles increased.

"We don't really eat lunch," Melena said, softly. "We consume a big breakfast, so we don't require eating until dinner."

The rest of the family agreed in unison. My mind was almost made up; they had to be vampires. _But what about Ary? _Her eyes were not like the rest, and she seemed different in her actions and her demeanor. What does it mean?

Suddenly, as if she could read my mind, Ary pulled out a paper sack. "Unlike these anorectics," she said, laughing, as she opened the container, "I like to eat." I leaned over and glanced in the container. It was

meat—raw, red meat.

The animal blood was leaking down to the base of the container. I was forced to hold my breath. Red meat made me squeamish; blood made me pass out.

I attempted to breathe through my mouth. "Ary, you eat raw meat?"

Skye smiled as she took in my speculation. "Yeah, Ary really likes red meat," she said, giggling. "I think it was something she inherited from her parents." Some part of what she said made the rest of them laugh uncontrollably.

I continued to watch Ary consume her 'lunch'. The conversation around me swiftly picked up.

"So Bella," Eric said. I turned and his face had taken on a cheerier look. "I hear you are a fan of the classics!"

My brow furrowed in curiosity. _A fan of the classics? _"What do you mean?" Did he mean a fan of classic books?

He chuckled a bit. "I meant by your choice of vehicle."

_Oh. _I groaned internally. Surely, they had seen my monstrosity in the parking lot. "My dad actually bought it for me. I didn't pick it out."

He nodded in acknowledgment. "It looks fun!"

I honestly couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or serious. "Thanks."

I felt a tapping on my shoulder and turned quickly. Skye was leaning across Ary's lap and tugging on my shirt.

She settled into her chair as I gave her my attention. "So, Bella, what is there to do in Forks?" She gazed at me with anticipation. There was something about Skye that just made me want to smile and laugh. Her entire personality was light and sunny. Every time she moved, a head bob or giggle would follow it.

"Not in Forks, Skye," I said, apologetic. "Port Angeles is decent, and Seattle is only about three hours away, depending on how you drive."

"Wow, do they have any nice clubs in Port Angeles?" Skye beamed at me like I was her new best friend. I couldn't help but let my face curl into a half smile.

"Oh, well, I wouldn't know about clubs, Skye. That's not really my thing," I said, looking back to the others. "I mean, I haven't even been to a club before." When I glanced back at her, Skye's mouth was wide open."What?"

"I can't believe you've never been to a dance club before! Bella, how old are you?" Skye was surprised that I wasn't interested in going to a sweaty room filled with sweaty people.

"I'm eighteen," I said hesitantly. Why did I feel like I was heading into a trap?

Skye leaned back and looked like she was calculating something. Finally, she snapped her fingers and smiled. "They have some eighteen and up clubs in Seattle, I'm almost sure of it!" She had a calculating look in her eyes. Alice had that same look when she would plot something. "It's settled! We should all take Bella to Seattle this weekend! We can show her a true clubbing experience!"

_What have I done?_ "No, no, Skye, that's okay. I haven't been to a club because I—" I stammered at the quirky Asian. She cut me off though, eliciting another wave of déjà vu. _Why does it seem like I've been through_ _this before?_

"Because no one has ever offered to take you," she enthusiastically finished my sentence. Skye turned to the others, polling their votes. "Come on, who wants to go with us? Who wants to go to The Studio?"

"Wait, I thought you've never been to Seattle, Skye," I said, curiously. Why did she ask me if she already knew?

"I never said that, silly Bella," she laughed and returned to her poll. "Melena, Dante, Ira…are you in? I already know Eric and Ary's on! It'll be great. I promise, no fighting this time!"

_No fighting? What exactly did that mean? _"Skye, do I have any say in this insanity?" I asked, in a hopeless tone. Yes, this was too familiar. My composure began to break. _No, no, no, Bella! Skye is not like…_

"None at all. Just sit back and enjoy it Bella," she said with a smile.

That's when it happened; I was praying that it wouldn't. Everything was going too smoothly for comfort. The hole in my chest—I had been attempting to keep it closed—ripped open with a vengeance. My chest blazed and seared like it had been set on fire. I gripped my chest, let out a small cry of pain, and hunched forward. I felt every set of eyes fall upon me. I couldn't lift my eyes to see them, but I knew. I desperately tried to get a hold of myself, but it was too late. I had let myself think of who Skye reminded me of - _Alice Cullen. _My chest felt like it was imploding. I remembered Alice so vividly - her smile, her hair, and the way she skipped up and kissed me on the cheek when we first officially met. The memory tore into me like a razor blade. I wanted to curl up on the ground and scream. I began to feel tears welling up in the corners of my eyes. I had to get out of here. I summoned all my courage and stood up slowly. My face was completely flushed with embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry, I have to excuse myself. It was nice to meet you all," I said seriously. With that I walked away, defeated. I was sure, right now, Ary's family was demanding why she brought a 'crazy girl' to the table. They were so nice, and my emotional baggage had surely freaked them out. I was so consumed with my own grief that I didn't realize Ary had followed me.

"Are you all right, Bella?" she asked, worry saturating her voice. "You don't look well." Her voice startled me. I dropped my bag on the ground. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"No, it's okay, I'm just not feeling well. I'm sorry, Ary. I didn't mean to offend you or your family," I lied, badly. My voice sounded desperate, like I was pleading. More importantly, I felt like my chest was caving inwards. I felt my face getting hot. _I feel like I'm going to…oh no, I'm going to cry. _"Um, Ary, I'm sorry. I have to go."

With that I turned and rushed away from her. I didn't stop until I was inside the bathroom stall with the door locked. I grabbed my chest and curled over. _Just ride it out, Bella. You can do this!_ _Breathe! _I sniffed and coughed as the pain took my breath away from me. I felt the aching seep down into my lungs and then to my stomach. My intestines burned with soreness. I put my head in my hands and gritted my teeth. The pain was getting worse every day. _Isn't time supposed to help? Time…what time is it? _I looked at the clock that hung high on the wall. Iwouldn't have enough time to put myself back together completely. It wasokay, maybe Mr. Banner would send me home. I stood up, legs wobbling a bit, and opened the door to the stall. I almost screamed in surprise. Ary was standing by one of the full body mirrors near the door. No emotion shone from her eyes.

"Ary I…" I said to her, in a voice not completely my own. How could I truly explain myself?

"Bella," her voice was serious. "Are we friends?" I nodded. "Then why do you refuse to be honest with me? Why won't you tell me what's wrong?"

Her face was becoming more and more concerned. She took a step towards me.

"I'm sorry," were the only words I could find. "Ary, it's not my story to tell." That was all I could say. I was left all alone with my memories, an unfair situation on my part. Ary was still a stranger to me, as well. I couldn't divulge my past to someone I hardly knew.

"If it involves your life, then it is yours to tell," she said, her voice softening. "I'll be waiting in class." She smiled at me, turned, and headed out the door.

My confusion and pain merged together as one to form a huge knot in my heart and stomach. _She must know that I was keeping something big_ _from her. She must know…something. _The hole began to burn and sting. I swallowed and the action forced the pain to subside. A sigh escaped my lips as I experienced temporary relief. My body turned towards the mirror. My reflection shocked me. It must have been weeks since I took a good look at myself. My eyes looked sunken in, my cheeks were sallow, and my neck, along with the rest of my body, seemed to be thinner than ever. Had I really deteriorated that much? I traced my fingers across my cheeks. A tremble spread through my body as I started at the deep bags below my eyes. I had never cared what I looked like before, why should I start now?

I couldn't bear another look into the mirror.

I picked up my backpack and headed toward the bathroom door. On my way out, I ran into Jessica, Angela, and Lauren.

"Oh, hey, Bella," Jessica said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. I turned to face her and met wary and questioning eyes. "How was lunch for you? I saw you sitting with that group of new kids." I remembered that look in her eyes. She had that same gaze when she questioned Mike about his eyes. She was suspicious and jealous.

"Um, yeah," I said, still looking down. "Aryana is my lab partner in biology, and she wanted me to meet the rest of her family." My eyes turned to Angela. She was smiling apologetically. Lauren looked smug; she was more than likely the instigator.

"Well that's nice," Jessica continued as her voice grew sharper. "You all get along really well."

This caught me by surprise. I wasn't really thinking about what was going through my ears or coming out of my mouth. For once, I just went with the first thought that crossed my brain. "You were watching us?" I asked, skeptical.

This seemed to take Jessica off guard. She wasn't used to people accusing her of anything like this. "What, no…I wasn't…I mean, I glanced over now and then but…" she said, wavering in her attitude. Lauren looked at her with disappointment and sourness.

"Jess," I said, narrowing my eyes. "If you were only watching 'now and then', how do you know I was getting along with them?" I wondered if my voice came off as threatening or lifeless. I could no longer tell. My numbness had come back finally. Thank God for small favors.

Jessica turned to look at Lauren for support.

I was through with this. "Jess, I'm not trying to accuse you of anything. I was just curious. I sat with the McRaes because Aryana invited me. I'm sorry if you feel I've been ignoring you. I haven't been having the best life lately." I lowered my head, a show of good faith.

In an instant, I saw Jessica's whole demeanor melt like butter. She immediately became the girl I met on the first day of school. "Oh, Bella," she said sweetly. "I wasn't trying to be mean to you. I know you've been through a tough time. I'm sorry, and no, I don't feel like you've been ignoring me."

Lauren scoffed at that comment, and Jessica shot her a dirty look. "Look, maybe we can get together sometime soon." Jessica smiled innocently. "You can tell me all about it!"

"That would be good - I'll let you know." I attempted to sound hopeful, but my voice was glum. "Now I think I should get to class."

Angela and Jessica nodded while Lauren continued to scowl. I walked past them and left the bathroom. _Finally_! I hurried and made it to biology before Mr. Banner arrived. Ary was sitting in her normal seat looking passive.

I sat down slowly, frowning. I wasn't proud of myself. Jessica had gone out of her way, on my first day, to be my friend. Now I was making empty promises to her. I hung my head in shame.

"What's wrong?" Ary asked as I took my seat. I turned to face her, but she was staring at her notebook.

I sighed and leaned my head on my fist. "I had a complication in the bathroom," I said, almost angrily. "One of the girls I have been avoiding lately caught up with me."

"That's actually kind of funny." She let a chuckle fall from her lips. "But that's not what I was referring to. Bella, if we're going to be friends, then I think we should be honest with each other."

"Well, that's true," I said, raising my eyes. I glanced around the room, anxiously. "Ary, this is not the best place for this. How about after school you come with me to my house? I need a study partner anyway. It'll give us time to talk."

Ary hesitated. She narrowed her eyes. Finally, she looked at me and spoke. "All right, but I can't stay long. Maybe an hour or two at the most. Just promise me, no secrets."

"I'll promise that if you will," I said seriously.

"I'll tell you all that I can," she said evenly.

Just then, Mr. Banner entered the room with a television and began to take roll. My nagging thoughts kept me from focusing on the movie. All the questions I wanted to ask Ary ran through my mind. _Is she a vampire? Are_ _her family members vampires? What was their diet? Why are they here?_ So many questions, and I wasn't sure if I was going to get all the answers.

I was still thinking of all my inquiries when the bell rang.

"So, should I meet you after your next class?" Ary said to me. "Or should I meet you by your truck?"

I was startled. "How do you know I drive a truck? Or for that matter, how did your brother?"

She laughed as she rose from her seat. "I think the whole school knows, especially with the Richter scale level that it reaches."

"Oh, okay. That's fine. I guess meet me by my monster," I muttered, sarcasm brimming.

Ary smiled and quickly exited the classroom.

I looked down and was startled to see a little piece of white paper sitting there. I opened it:

_**p.s. my family is not offended…just worried**_

I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. I was terrified that I had shocked the new family so much that they would not want to associate with me. I simply nodded and folded the note up. I started wondering what questions _she_ was going to ask _me_. Was I ready to come clean and expose certain _secrets_? Could I truly trust Aryana McRae? I was shaken from my endless stream of mental questions. There was still a chance that she and her family were vampires. _What does this all mean for me? Does this mean_ _that I'm supposed to become a vamp…no_! I shook my head. _Thoughts_ _like that won't help. Take things one at a time!_

I moved slowly with the herd of Forks High Schools students. I arrived in the gym and changed into my torture ensemble. Today, due to popular vote, we were playing volleyball, girls versus boys. I was in deep trouble. I silently thanked my luck that everyone knew who I was and what I could do. They placed me in the back and avoided setting up serves around me. Even the boys, our opponents, took pity on me. Two head shots and three bruises later, the last bell finally sounded. At least I was numb on the inside, or else I would be completely mortified.

I rested against an iron railing. Minus the gym fiasco, I had no prior clumsy acts today. So it didn't surprise me when my backpack slipped from my hands. "Oh!" I reached out for it, but the backpack disappeared. In a swift motion, it hung two feet higher than before. I glanced up to see Eric, Ary's brother, standing above me.

"Lose something, Bella?" His voice was teasing but endearing. His beautiful mouth turned up to a glorious smile. His teeth gleamed in the dull light.

My face flushed as I turned to face him. "Thanks," was all I could manage to say as I reclaimed my backpack. "Eric, right?"

"Right…perfect," he said, chuckling. "And you are Bella. Are you all right?" His face could only be described as humorously concerned.

My eyes darted from side to side, not sure what to say. "Yes," I whispered, "I guess I was just feeling a little sick."

"Well, here's to a speedy recovery," he said, flashing his brilliant teeth. "So, what are your plans for tonight, _mi Bella_? I was thinking about taking a nice scenic drive. I absolutely love the forest at sundown. However, I know I'd have a much better time if I weren't alone. Would you care to join me?"

I stared into his eyes, remembering Edward with every passing second. I began to lose my breath and almost went cross-eyed. I shook my head. _Wake up Bella! _"Um, I'm going to have to say no," I said slowly, trying to concentrate on keeping myself together. I turned my eyes away from him. Continuing to stare at Eric McRae would only surface more memories. I didn't want to freak him out either. It wasn't his fault that his eye color matched Edward's perfectly and smoldered the same way _his _did.

"Your sister, Ary, is actually coming over."

This seemed to bring him back to reality. "Oh, I see," he said, his smile retreating to a frown. "Well, there's always another time. I would love the chance to pick your brain." He smiled and ran a hand through his hair. "I think I saw my sister heading to your truck. You might want to go meet her. She'll flog me if she finds out I delayed you."

I faked a laugh as much as I could. Somehow, I believed him. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Good-bye Eric."

He took my hand into his and brought his head down to my level. He kissed my hand gently and smiled. "Until we meet again, _mi Bella_," he whispered to me.

The smell of his breath made me dizzy. _Just like Edward… _With that, he turned and almost floated down to where his family waswaiting for him. I took a deep breath and turned to walk to the other sideof the parking lot. I stopped short, and looked curiously at what I saw. Arywas sitting on top of my truck. She looked like a cat. She was perchedatop my roof, glancing from side to side.

"Ary, what are you doing?" I asked, my voice shocked and amused at the same time.

"I'm sitting," she said, simply. "What are you doing? You are aware that school let out about 15 minutes ago. Do you normally dawdle around campus, or are you trying to agitate me?"

"No," I said slowly.

I attempted to find some excuse for being late. Ary slowly narrowed her eyes. In a swift motion, she hopped down and leaned toward me. Inhaling deeply, she rolled her eyes and chuckled. "I figured he would delay you. I guess I'll have words with him later."

I shook my head. "What do you mean?" _She can smell him on me! _My memory of the Cullens' heightened sense of smell popped in my mind. _She can smell him because she's a vampire! _It was hard to control my nerves at this point.

She stopped and turned to me. "My brother, Erickson, wears the most unique cologne. I can't stand it."

"Oh," was all I said. _Darn it! _It appeared that Ary had an explanation for everything. Anything I would point out as a 'vampire trait' she could explain.

She then looked at me with a curious expression. "So are we going?"

I nodded my head and opened my truck door.

I looked over and Ary was already in the passenger seat. "Don't you want to take your car?" I asked casually, glancing across the lot to her Audi. "Won't you need a ride home?" I was more than willing to take her, but I was curious to see how she would get home.

"If I need a ride, I'll give Skye a call. She'll be around the neighborhood." She smiled at me, and I nodded in understanding.

I started the engine and the roar almost made me jump. I looked, apologetically, to Ary. She sat, looking undisturbed. I took a deep breath and began to drive towards home. We approached the first stop light in silence. I sighed as the seconds ticked by.

"So Ary," I muttered. "Do you like Forks?" _I can't believe it! I'm_ _asking the same questions I was asked on my first day!_

Ary scoffed a little, her voice brimming with sarcasm. "What's not to like? I'm almost living under water. Forks isn't terrible, Bella. I just don't like the wet weather."

I relaxed more in the drivers' seat. "I know exactly what you mean." I turned right and came up to another red light. "I hate the cold and the wet weather. I hate it." I glanced over, and she was staring at me.

A smile cut across her face. "Then why do you stay?"

"Where else would I go?"

"Hmm," Ary agreed.

The silence overtook the truck once again. I was still so nervous about what questions I would ask. I was also feeling a bit nervous. What would I do if she _was _a vampire? I froze. _I never stopped to think about that! Stupid Bella! What are you going to if_ _she is a vampire? You don't even know what her diet is! She could be_ _wearing contacts or something like that. What if she kills you and_ _Charlie? What are you going to do? Oh God, oh God, oh God!_

"Bella!" Ary grabbed my shoulder and shook me.

I was about to run a red light. "Oh shoot!" I stepped hard on the breaks.

The truck skidded across the road and halted dangerously close to the center of the intersection. A warm flush covered my face. I turned to look at Ary.

Ary's eyes were questioning me. "Bella," she said slowly. "Do you want me to drive?"

I shook my head. "Sorry."

I wanted to kill something by the time I finally rounded the corner to the house.

"Did you notice that we hit every stop light?" I asked incredulously. Every light had turned red the moment we had approached. Was this a sign that I was truly not supposed to know about Aryana? I pushed that thought out of my mind. I was going to find out no matter what! "We're here," I muttered awkwardly as we pulled into the driveway. I inspected the yard. Charlie was not home, and this was a good thing. He had made every attempt to reignite my social life, what little one I had. If I brought a friend around him, he'd probably embarrass himself…and me.

We made our way inside the house and into the kitchen. I looked back at her, unsure of how to begin. _How should I do this_? _Should I just start_ _talking? _My stomach started to growl as I debated with myself. I had not eaten at all today. "Would you like something to eat, Aryana?"

She gently shook her head and smiled. I rooted through the fridge and found some cold pizza_. Charlie, I owe you one_. I didn't feel like cooking. I threw a few slices on a paper plate and put them in the microwave.

"So, Bella, I have to ask you something. Do you really need a tutor? Or should we just get down to whatever it is you want to know?" She was dead on, and I was grateful for it.

"Are you reading my mind?" I asked, not really thinking about what I was saying. She found this funny; a small laugh escaped her.

"How about we go to the living room," she said, still laughing. "I think we'll both be more comfortable there."

I simply nodded, and we both made our way to the living room. I sat down on the reclining chair as she took a seat on the sofa. I still had no idea what to do if she _was _a vampire. I tapped my foot, anxiously. The silence was killing me.

Finally. Aryana broke it. "So, Bella, I want you to ask whatever it is that you want to ask me." Her face still showed humor, but there was a hint of seriousness behind it.

"Okay," I said slowly. Why was this so much harder than it needed to be? Why couldn't I just find the words to say to her? I had rehearsed a few questions, but they escaped me at the moment. I decided to just wing it. "Ary, how old are you?"

Ary's neck jerked back. The question had surprised her. She shook her head and smiled. "I'm 18 years old, Bella," she said.

I remembered a similar conversation and how I approached it. "How long have you been 18?" I asked with seriousness in my voice.

"Bella, we're wasting time. If all you're going to do is—"

I reached my hand out across the table and grabbed her wrist. I pulled my hand back, shocked. Her skin burned hot. She felt feverish. I had never felt someone so heated in my life. There was no way she was a vampire with skin like this. I shook my head.

"Impossible," I whispered aloud.

"Bella, why did you do that?" Ary asked incredulously. She looked at me with concerned eyes. "What are you up to? You said that you have questions…ask them."

I continued to shake my head. This was all wrong. I knew there was no way she could be a vampire. Why had I hoped and day dreamed about this when I knew better? That meant that her family was…_not _vampires. Their eyes must be contact lenses or something. They hadn't lied about their eating patterns…_oh my God_. What is wrong with me?

"Bella?"

I could barely hear Ary's voice now. I was about to lose my mind and my sanity. "Bella! Will you please snap out of this?"

What did I have to lose? "Are you a vampire, Aryana?" I let the question slip out in a hushed whisper.

Ary's features went solid as a statue. I saw her inhale deeply, and her eyes narrowed at me. "What did you just say?" Her eyes widened, and I no longer questioned my sanity.

My voice was emotionless as I spoke. "I asked if you are a vampire,Aryana." I didn't even look at Ary. I knew what was going to happen now. I was completely wrong in my assumptions. She would call me a freak and leave my house and my life. Ary would abandon me like the others. I was shocked when I looked up.

Ary seemed to be fighting back laughter. "Bella," she said, still trying to keep her composure. "You did all this because you think I'm _a vampire_?" This was hysterical to her. "I'm truly flattered."

"So, are you?" I asked.

"No, Bella," she said, steadily. "I am not a vampire."

This frustrated me to no end. I started to shake. "But it doesn't make sense." I said quietly. "What about your family? Your family are vampires,aren't they?"

I became increasingly agitated by her silence. "Why aren't you saying anything? You said you would answer my questions."

"Don't misinterpret what I said Bella," she said, her voice apologetic. "I said that I would tell you everything that I am able to. There are some things that are out of my hands." She frowned and looked away.

"Stop it! Stop it, Ary, no more secrets!" I felt my voice escalate. "I am sick of everyone saying they'll tell me something and then pulling back at the last moment. It's…it's…it's just so flighty!" I threw my hands up.

"Bella," she spoke in a calm voice. "I think you need to calm down. You are getting too worked up over this."

"No, don't tell me I need to calm down, Ary!" My voice was still climbing in volume. "I saw your family! All the signs are there!"

This caught her attention quickly. "You have no idea what you're talking about, Bella." She seemed to be getting nervous.

"Yes I do, Ary!" I glared at her from across the living room.

"What is it that you think you know, Bella Swan?" she asked, her voice was increasing in volume.

"I saw the signs!" I said, desperation and frustration poured out of me with every word. "The golden eyes: that means they only drink animal blood. The beauty, the smell, the hard skin, the pale complexion, and the reason they weren't at school with you that first day we met!" Ary seemed to

recoil. Maybe she was not aware that I knew so much. "Ary, I want answers!"

In that moment, Ary's composure broke. Her beautiful blue eyes turned a bright yellow. Her lips pulled back over her perfect teeth and a snarl ripped forth. The sound terrified me. It was so different than anything I had heard from Edward, even when James had threatened me. Aryana's voice resonated off the walls of Charlie's little house. The windows shuddered and the walls creaked. I was afraid the house was going to tumble down around us.

"BELLA, I AM NOT GOING TO BETRAY MY FAMILY'S SECRETS JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A TANTRUM! I AM NOT DISLOYAL! NOW, WILL YOU CALM DOWN?"

My hand flew to my mouth as a scream attempted escape. I began to tremble as Ary's bright yellow eyes bore into me. She bared her glistening white teeth and growled. Her body shuddered as she lurched forward, moving towards me. Aryana McRae looked like she was going to kill me. I collapsed into a heap on the ground. The sobs cut through me, choking me as I attempted to breathe. I suddenly felt warm arms around me, covering me. I looked up, and Ary was attempting to hold me. Her eyes were pained as she tightened her hold. This made me sob even harder. It had been so long since I had someone there to listen. I had pushed everyone away for so long. I turned towards her and cried into her shoulder.

She exhaled a long breath.

We locked eyes, and I was forced to look away. I was so ashamed.

Ary exhaled slowly. "What happened to you, Bella Swan?"

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: REPOST <em>


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Reminders**

I broke down. The internal dam collapsed, and my tears flowed. I had been so confident that Ary and her family were vampires. My subconscious knew Ary couldn't be a vampire, and yet I ignored the signs. Her eyes were blue—not red or gold—and her skin did not glitter in the sunlight. Why did I force myself to ignore the obvious? Had the Cullens' departure forced me to look for hope in all the wrong places?

"Bella," Ary's voice was now soft as she caressed my shoulder. "Please look at me."

I was terrified to look at her. Just minutes earlier, she had become someone else entirely. Her blue eyes had contorted to a bright yellow, and she had snarled at me. I warily lifted my head.

Ary's eyes were wide, and her arms were trembling. There was a cautiousness that had overtaken her. The confident Aryana McRae no longer sat before me. This new girl was afraid.

"I'm sorry I shouted at you, Bella. I shouldn't have let myself get so angry." Her brow was indented, and her lips pulled up in a disgusted grimace.

"No, it's my fault." My chest heaved as I spoke through my sobs. "I shouldn't have continued to press you." I sighed. "What did I say, Ary? I mean, what was it that angered you?"

Ary let her gaze fall to the ground, and her jaw tightened. "Bella, my family is my life," she said between clenched teeth. "I do not share information about them with anyone. I've also never been partial to people demanding things of me." She leaned back against the sofa and exhaled slowly. "I don't expect you to understand that kind of loyalty." She shook her head and closed her eyes again.

"I think I understand more than you give me credit for," I said, sighing loudly. I knew perfectly well what it meant to keep secrets. The Cullens were vampires, and I couldn't tell anyone.

Ary opened her eyes. "Oh?"

I shrugged and turned away from her. We fell into a silence that screamed louder than Ary had a few minutes ago. The memory of her eyes, yellow and penetrating, caused me to shiver. I glanced from one side of the room to the other, anything to avoid her eyes. I knew she was curious about what I had just said, but I didn't want to explain why she should give me more credit. I still hadn't made up my mind about whether I should tell Ary about the Cullens.

"So, Bella," Ary spoke, finally. "Are you going to give me some answers, or is this conversation going nowhere?" Ary's eyes narrowed as they poured over my face, searching for knowledge.

Another exasperated sigh escaped my lips. "I don't know exactly where to start, Ary," I said reluctantly. I refused to talk to any of my friends at school—Jessica, Angela, Mike—and they had known me longer than Ary.

"Try from the beginning," Ary said gently. "Tell me everything that made you…the way you are."

She slipped up off the floor and onto the sofa.

I sighed loudly. _This secret is not just mine, it is shared. Telling Ary about_ _everything would be breaking the confidence of those that I still care_ _about, of the rest of the Cullens. _I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Ary, I don't think I can."

Ary sighed and cocked her head. "Bella, how about a little exchange?" I narrowed my eyes curiously. "I will answer one question about myself if you will tell me your story."

I took a deep breath as I considered her offer. Though I wanted to ask her so many questions, I was still uncomfortable about exposing my past.

Ary sensed my inner turmoil. "Bella, you don't have to tell me anything if you're not comfortable." She smiled, her eyes softening.

"So, I can ask you _any _question?" I had to know my limitations. I wasn't completely committed to this exchange, but I was thinking about it.

Ary pursed her lips as her eyes narrowed. "I will answer any question that is not directly related to my family." Her condition lowered my spirits.

Since Ary, by her own admission, was not a vampire, my speculation had returned to her family, who were off limits.

I sighed, continuing to think. I reviewed my previous conversation with Ary, searching for something to ask. I sucked in a deep breath as I thought of the perfect question. "Okay, Ary, it's a deal."

She smiled, satisfied. "All right, Bella, you first. Ask away."

I exhaled loudly and looked at Ary. "Earlier, I asked you how old you were." She nodded. "You said you were eighteen. Ary, how long have you been eighteen?"

Ary's eyes closed as she chuckled. She slowly reopened them and her smile broadened. "A very long time, Bella."

I nodded, a little confused. _Can't she give me a precise number? _"All right, can you give me a date?"

Ary's eyes saddened, and her smile retreated. "I wish I could, Bella. I don't know myself."

My neck jerked back as my brow dented. "You don't know your own birthday?"

She shook her head. I sighed. _I guess it's my turn now. _"Before I tell you this, Ary, I need you to promise to be open-minded and not write me off as a freak."

Ary cocked her head to one side—just like the first time I saw her at lunch—and half-smiled. "Bella, you just saw my eyes change from blue to yellow, and you're worried about me thinking you're a freak?"

I was about to speak when a memory stopped me short. I saw an image of a perfect boy and an average girl sharing secrets, and all at once, I heard a voice. _I tell you that I can hear voices, and you think you're the freak. _I wrapped my arm around my stomach.

"That doesn't help, you know. It only makes it worse."

Ary's words confused me. "What do you mean?" I stared at her, still feeling the pain swelling.

She simply sighed. "Nothing." Her demeanor changed, and a smile spread across her face. "Now you've heightened my curiosity. I hope your story is as interesting as you make it out to be. I swear not to think any less of you, Bella."

I took a deep breath and began. "I moved here almost a year ago, from Arizona, to live with my dad. I thought I was going to hate it here, and for a short time I did. That was before I met the Cullens." I paused to catch my breath as the pain began to resurface and noticed that Ary had tensed up.

Her jaw was tight, her eyes were blazing, and her hands gripped her knees with tenacity. As much as I wanted to ask her about her change in demeanor, I continued.

"They seemed perfect: beautiful, smart but very reclusive. I found out they had all been adopted by a doctor, Carlisle Cullen, and his wife, Esme. I didn't think anything of them until I met the youngest, Edward."

"At first, I thought Edward hated me"—I cringed at the memory of his black eyes—"but he softened, and we became very close. To be honest, I fell in love with him, and I thought he had fallen in love with me. However, the Cullens had a secret, one that they told no one. I figured it out after I talked to some of my friends down at the La Push Indian reservation. They referred to the Cullens' as the 'cold ones'. I researched online and found out the meaning of the 'cold ones'. The Cullens were all vampires—cold-skinned and blood-drinking. They weren't like others of their kind, though. They survived on the blood of animals rather than humans. They considered themselves vegetarians.

"Edward tried to push me away for my safety, but I couldn't stay away from him. Edward finally decided that he couldn't stay away from me any longer, and we began to spend every day together. Last spring break, I got into trouble. I was hunted by a tracker named James." Ary's head snapped up when I said his name, but once again I ignored it. "I fled to Phoenix with two of the Cullens, Alice and Jasper. But I ended up facing James by myself. He had planned to film my death and leave it for Edward. Edward saved me, and his family killed James.

"We had a calm summer, and I thought everything was perfect. But on my 18th birthday, just a few months ago, Edward's brother Jasper tried to attack me after I got a paper cut. A week later, Edward broke up with me and left with his family. He said that they would not be coming back." My voice faltered on the last word. The pain in my chest riveted throughout my entire body. I winced in agony, almost crying out. Ary leaned forward, reaching out to me; I shook my head and refused her help. "I tried to follow him when he left me, but he was too fast. I was found a short time later by some friends of Charlie, and by that time, the Cullens were already gone."

I took a deep breath and slowly looked at Ary.

Ary's face was unreadable; she appeared lost in thought, staring off into space. We sat in a dull silence for what seemed like forever. I averted my eyes, hoping she didn't think I was completely insane. When I finally returned her gaze, her demeanor had changed once again.

Her brow was deeply furrowed, and her face was incredulous. "Bella." Ary spoke my name hesitantly. "When you saw me at school, on my first day, why did you stare at me? You looked like you were trying to figure something out. What was it?"

The question caught me off guard. I wasn't aware that she had been analyzing my reactions. Now is not the time to hold back, Bella. "When Edward broke up with me, I had gone on a walk with him in the woods." I spoke despite the rising pain and anguish; the memory was torturing me. "I couldn't keep up with him, and I fell and sort of passed out in the forest. When I woke up, I saw someone staring at me. Someone with pale blue eyes, like yours."

I shifted my eyes to the floor. I sounded like a lunatic, and I knew it wasn't long before she would leave and tell her family about the 'crazy girl'. I was surprised by what happened next.

"I knew it," Ary said under her breath.

I glanced at her and saw her smiling. "What?" I asked, not sure what she meant.

Ary sighed and looked at me; the look in her eyes was indescribable. "I knew you saw me, Bella," she said. "I just couldn't understand why you didn't run from him."

The world came to a crashing halt, and I almost fell to the floor. A million questions raced through my mind as I straightened myself.

Ary could see my internal struggle. "Calm down, Bella," she said slowly and placed her hand on my shoulder. "Just breathe!" The warmth that exuded from her hand was so soothing. "You have no idea how many questions you just answered. That explains why you were alone with him." Her voice was full of fulfillment. She appeared to have had an epiphany.

"Wait, what?" I said, confused. "How long were you watching us?" I was demanding again, and I didn't care.

Ary shook her head as laughter pealed from her. "Bella, you're taking this the wrong way," she said. "I was not stalking you—I was merely curious."

"But I don't understand," I said, becoming frustrated. "Why were you there to begin with?"

Ary stopped smiling and looked like she was strongly thinking about something. Finally, she took a deep breath and exhaled. "I want to answer all your questions, Bella," Ary said seriously. "Unfortunately, the answers are not entirely mine to give."

I groaned. Great, we're back to square one.

Ary threw her hands up in defense. "But," she said, "maybe if I asked their permission, it would be different."

My eyes narrowed as I contemplated just what she meant.

"Bella, would you like to come to my home for a little history lesson?" Ary asked, raising one eyebrow as she spoke.

"A history lesson?" I wasn't sure what she meant, but I wouldn't refuse. If going to Ary's home meant answers, then so be it. "What time?"

Ary frowned as she thought. "My family does not come home until much later. How about this - meet me down the street at midnight?"

"Okay," I said, nodding. I looked at the clock to check the time and realized that Charlie would be home any moment. "Um Ary, my dad…"

"I know," she said, nodding. "I'll use the back door."

"Wait," I said. I glanced out the window to see the normal weather, a thick coat of rain. "Don't you need a ride? It's raining." She had mentioned something about Skye being in the neighborhood.

Turning, she laughed, "Don't be ridiculous, Bella." I'll be home in five minutes on foot."

"Where do you live?" Among all the other questions I had asked, I had never inquired where her family's house was.

"We live fifteen miles south of town, right off the highway," she said.

I was stunned, that was a twenty to thirty minutes drive. "How can you get there in five minutes?" I asked, confused by her sudden burst of laughter.

I had only known one person who could, but he was not a human.

Ary tossed her raven hair back as she smiled. "I said I wasn't a vampire, Bella," she spoke between chuckles. "But I didn't say I was human." With that she disappeared out the back door.

I was still standing there, mouth open in awe, when Charlie pulled into the driveway. The sound of him slamming the car door shook me from my stupor. I pulled out my math book and settled down at the table as he wrestled with the lock.

"Bella, you home?" he called before I heard him take off his gun holster and coat.

"In here," I said. Why did my voice sound so diminished? Charlie walked through the door and attempted to smile at me. I didn't return the gesture. His smile retreated back to the modest frown.

"So how was school?" He asked the same question every day, and every day I would give him the same response.

"Fine," was all I said and resumed studying. Charlie sighed and moved to the fridge. I saw him pause out of the corner of my eye, contemplating something. Oh no, I thought, please don't try to make me hang out with anyone again. However, to my surprise, he just sighed again and dug

around the fridge. I decided not to push my luck any further, so I picked up my books and headed to my room.

Once upstairs, I threw my books on the floor and sat on my bed. It would be a long wait until midnight. I figured I could take a shower and think about changing my clothes. I don't know why, but I retreated to my desk. I let my eyes pour over everything there, looking for something to pass the time. I turned and stared at my CD player. All at once, the hole in my chest burned like a hot coal.

Not thinking, I pulled the radio off the desk and yanked the chord out of the wall. That's when it started; I was on a mission. There would no longer be music in my life. The beautiful symphonies, once uplifting and sweet, had turned to a bitter source of pain. I reached for my CD wallet and ceremoniously broke each CD, one at a time. With each broken disc, my pain numbed a little more. Suddenly, my memory sparked, and I remembered one musical detail. I didn't stop to think about it. I rushed downstairs, past a very confused Charlie, to my truck.

There it sat, my birthday present from one month ago, the shiny silver stereo. It had been so long since I wanted to hear music that I had forgotten about it. Now, as I stared at the gleaming metal attachment, the memories of that fateful night came flooding back to me. I remembered opening the package that held an empty box. It was a gift from them; they had installed it for me so that I couldn't take it back. I remembered the cut that set forth the devastating aftermath.

I pulled back the sleeve from my arm and stared at the light scar that streaked across my skin. Feeling the familiar pain begin to rise, I knew what I had to do. Running quickly, I found Charlie's toolbox, grabbing the first screwdriver I saw.

I sprinted back to my truck and jumped onto the seat, not stopping to think about it. I drove it into the side of the stereo and attempted to twist. The device didn't budge, so I pushed against the handle, allowing enough space to fit my fingertips in. I slid them in quickly but, as I let go of the screwdriver, the metal fabric bent back into shape around my fingers. I yelped in pain and quickly pulled them free, glancing down at my skin. A thin line of blood was starting to form. My anger rose, and I kicked the stereo with my foot. I heard a loud crunch. I glanced back at the shattered faceplate of the stereo. Now I was headed in the right direction! I kicked it again and again until a hole appeared in the side of the shiny metal. I fit my hand in and pulled with all my might, disregarding the metal shards pulling at my skin. I strained and yanked at the metal box, finally feeling some movement forward.

"Yes," I said to myself. I had moved the box enough to fit my hand behind the contraption, and I pulled at every cord I found that was attached to it. Finally freeing the last one, I got a good grip on it, planted my feet on both sides of the dashboard and tugged. The stereo flew out from the dashboard and hit me on the forehead.

"Ow," I moaned and rubbed my forehead. "Nice one, Bella," I said aloud.

I turned the stereo over and over in my hands. What should I do with it? Having it in the house would just add extra pain and memories. I looked at the trash cans and then back down to the stereo. I couldn't get rid of this—too many memories clung to it. Heading inside the house, I opened the door to my room, immediately looking for a place to stash it where it would be out of sight.

On the floor of my closet there was a black trash bag. Tossing the twisted mass of metal and wires in the bag, I quickly shut the door. It was done. I looked down at my fingers and my eyes widened. My nails were torn to hell, and there was a gash on my palm. I quickly rushed to the bathroom, taking a few minutes to disinfect and bandage my fingers. Glancing at the clock, I groaned in impatience, noticing that only an hour had ticked by.

I glanced at my books, lying helpless on the floor and rolled my eyes, realizing my only alternatives. I could study or I could make small talk with Charlie. I sighed and headed toward the top of the stairs, hearing the news from the television. I slowly made my way down towards a bad idea.

Charlie was stretched out on the couch, and he eyed me warily as I entered the living room and sat down on the chair.

"What are you watching, Dad?" I asked innocently.

"Just catching up on the news," he said, still eyeing me intently. "Did you want to watch something, Bella?"

"No, I was just bored of studying and thought I'd come in and watch TV with you for awhile." I attempted to smile, but it didn't come out too well.

He narrowed his eyes at me but didn't really put up a fuss.

He let his eyes trail between me and the television. "So, have you met the new kids yet?"

"New kids?" My voice came out more defensive than an actual question.

Charlie eyed me suspiciously, but I shot him a confused look, and he relaxed. "Yeah, some new rich family moved in a couple miles south of Forks," he said dismissively. "I heard they are going to Forks High. Have you met them yet?"

"Oh yeah," I said offhandedly. I couldn't hide anything from Charlie. "One of them is my new lab partner in Biology. She seems nice though."

"Humph," was all Charlie said. It sounded like he didn't like them, and I wondered what Ary's family had done to earn the scorn of Charlie Swan.

"What?" I asked, intrigued. "Don't tell me you don't like them already."

"It's not that, Bella." He sighed deeply. "There's something about them that rubs people here the wrong way."

"Just because they're not like the other boring people here," I said defensively, "doesn't mean that they're bad people."

"I didn't say that they're bad people, Bella," he said, trying to even the mood. "I'm just saying they're not what people are," he paused uncomfortably, "used to."

I was not having this. "Well, some of the kids at school are comparing them to the Cullens," I strained to say the last name.

Charlie paused and glanced at me, possibly wondering if I was going to break down. After a few seconds had passed, he exhaled a long breath. "The Cullens were different."

"How so?" I asked. I was beginning to get more forceful, almost like I was protecting the McRaes. This was a familiar feeling for me.

"Well, Dr. Cullen was much respected." Charlie made a valid point. I had not heard of anything that the McRaes had done just yet. Although the community had spread gossip about the Cullens, they'd respected Carlisle for his medical expertise. "I don't believe that any of the new family has any special skills that I am aware of."

"Well, they just got here," I said. I was getting a little annoyed with Charlie's prejudice against the new family. "How can you pass judgment without giving someone a chance to show what they can do?"

Charlie stared at me with his mouth open, and I realized that I had just spoken more words to him than I probably had in the past month all together. I quietly walked out of the room, ready to find something else with which to pass the time. Climbing the stairs, I looked towards the bathroom. _If I'm_ _meeting her family tonight, I should probably wash my hair. _

I grabbed a towel from my room and headed towards the bathroom. I took an unusually long time, washing and brushing my hair. I glanced at my computer; Renee had probably emailed me again. I could do homework and get ahead at school or I could check my email and see what my harebrained mother was up to. I turned on my computer and it started to slowly connect to the internet. Sure enough, there was a new message from Renee.

**Bella,**

**Hello darling, how is everything going? Tell me more about your new lab partner—I'm curious. How is Charlie? What's new in Forks?**

**I love you, Mom**

I sighed. My mother was so silly but so endearing at the same time.

**Mom,**

**Everything is fine here in Forks. Seriously, did you think anything would change? My lab partner's name is Aryana McRae. She and her family are new in town. They're a little odd but nice. I will let you know if anything changes.**

**Love,**

**-Bella**

I glanced at the clock and groaned. Only an hour had crept by. _I can't get ahead! _I shut off my computer, and it hummed at me angrily. I walkedacross the room and picked up my book. I opened the first page andstarted reading, barely noticing the heaviness of my eyelids. I closed myeyes and dozed off into dreamland.

It didn't take long for my dream to begin where they had last left off. Walking in the forest looking for something, I couldn't see anything at all. Turning a corner, I ran smack into Ary. All at once, I felt someone grab me from behind and start to shake me vigorously. It was then that I heard my name being called: "Bella, Bella, Bella." I opened my eyes to find the room dark and Ary standing above me, shaking my shoulder.

"Ary," I said, groggily.

She smiled and shook her head. Suddenly she froze, before diving into my closet and pulling the door shut. The bedroom door eased open as my closet and pulling the door shut. The bedroom door eased open as Charlie peeked in.

"Bella, are you okay?" he asked seriously. He began to glance around the room.

"Yeah," I said, still half-asleep. "I'm fine, Dad. What's wrong?"

"I heard someone talking to you," he said. "Or was that you?"

"Dad," I said, a little angry. "You woke me up for this? How can I talk to anyone? I'm asleep - I mean, I _was_." I glared at him in the shadows. I could barely make out his face, but I was sure that he was embarrassed.

"Well, I just thought," he stuttered as he talked. "I don't know. I'm sorry, Bella."

"It's okay. Dad," I said, feeling sorry for him, "I know you're just looking out for me." I quickly lay my head back down and hugged the pillow.

"Well, get some sleep kid," he said, trying to sound normal. "I'll see you in the morning." He shut the door, and I could hear him walk to his room.

Half a minute passed, my closet door slowly creaked open, and Ary exited slowly. "What time is it, Ary?" I asked in a hushed whisper. I hadn't had achance to look at my clock. Ary paused for a moment and then eased into a whisper.

"Bella, it's 12:45," she said, sounding a little annoyed. "Would you care to do this another night?"

"No," I said almost immediately. "I'm sorry. I didn't think that I'd fall asleep. Do you still want me to meet your family?"

"Of course, I do. I'm just curious if you still want to."

"Then let's go," she said, pulling me up. "Thanks to your nap, we have to go out the window." I glanced at the open window at the end of my bed.

Before I could protest, Ary launched herself out the window. I moved warily to the window. _How am I supposed to get down?_

Ary was standing below the window with her arms stretched out to catch me. I groaned when the realization of Ary's words sunk in. Although she seemed strong, Ary's five foot, five inch frame suddenly appeared weak. I took a step away from the window. Heights were never really my thing.

"Is everything all right?" Ary's voice recalled my attention to the window. I turned to see her pulling herself back through the open window frame looking slightly annoyed.

"How did you get up here so fast?" My brain was slow with recent sleep.

Ary sighed heavily, looking at me like I was missing something. "Bella, trust me." In a swift motion, she dove backwards out the window. I rushed to the window only to find her waiting on the ground below. I took a deep breath and scurried out the window, closing it behind me. I shut my eyes tightly, pressed my arms against my chest and scooted off the edge. I felt myself fall, felt the wind rush briefly around me, but was caught by a strong force. Ary.

"Are you ready?" she asked, still carrying me.

"Let's go," was all I said as she tightened her grasp. The trees flew by in a blur, only a few seconds passing before she placed me back down on the ground by her car. I climbed into the passenger seat, and Ary took her position as the driver.

"Everything's going to be okay, Bella."

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: Repost <em>


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: A Tale of Two Brothers

I didn't even bother to look at the speedometer; I knew we were going way too fast. The moment I had climbed in Ary's car, she had ignored every rule of the road. I glanced outside. The trees were whipping by faster and faster. I shifted uncomfortably, re-checking my seat belt, and heard Ary chuckle.

"You know," I commented sarcastically. "There's a reason they're called speed limits."

"It's only a recommend speed." She laughed. However, I noticed the car's speed began to slowly decrease. I had only a second to enjoy it before I was momentarily yanked forward and then forced back into my seat. Ary had stepped on the brake and spun the steering wheel, forcing the car into reverse. With that, she proceeded to drive backward through the forest.

"Are you crazy?" I stared frantically at her. Ary just smiled and continued to watch the rearview mirror. I looked around desperately but could not recognize the forest. The darkness seemed to go on forever. After five minutes of driving in the brush, there was a break at the end of the trees. In the middle of the clearing stood a giant panel of wood, a big door of some kind. _Are we going to hit that?_

Ary pulled out a small garage door opener and pressed a button. The door behind us opened quickly and we pulled inside. The car came to abrupt halt and the engine quieted.

"We're here," Ary said cheerfully. As she took in my appearance, she chuckled. "Bella, would you please pull your nails out of my leather seats?"

I glanced down and noticed that my nails had indeed deeply penetrated the leather, almost tearing the fabric. I cautiously pulled my hands to my chest and took a deep breath.

"Ary," I said slowly, after the feeling came back to half my body. "Do you have a death wish?"

She gazed at me humorously but her smile faded. "They know you're here," she said seriously. "Let's go, Bella. We're expected."

I unfastened my seat belt and opened the door quickly, staring at the enormous structure before me. To call this place a house was a travesty: three floors, ornate decorations, and a fountain placed in front. My mouth dropped open as a wave of insecurity washed over me. I couldn't help but feel diminutive in comparison. I had never seen a house that big before, at least in person. Not even the Cullens' home had been this grand.

"It's okay, Bella," Ary said, her voice startling me. "It's just a house."

"No, Ary," I said, my tone even. "My house is just a house; this is just a… mansion."

Ary rolled her eyes and walked past me, but I continued to stare at the structure. I felt a strange warming sensation inside me. Unlike the painful burning that thinking about the Cullens brought on, this was soothing. The feeling seemed to blossom the closer I got to the house. Was this new family waking me from my walking nightmare?

"Bella," Ary said impatiently.

I snapped out of it and nodded quickly. Walking with Ary seemed to go in slow motion. We crossed the rich lawn, up the sidewalk, and finally ended up at the elaborately carved front door.

This was where Ary stopped to address me with a serious expression.

"Bella, there's something that I need you to understand." She looked at me as if she were instructing me. "My family does not usually welcome guests, so just bear with us, okay?" I nodded eagerly. She half smiled and guided me inside the threshold.

Ary's home was beautiful. There were modern paintings hanging on every wall. Some of the paintings were rich with vibrant color and some with simple black and white patterns. There was also a gigantic fire place which held a massive roaring blaze. They were very different from the Cullens, at least in their taste in decorating. I couldn't help think back to Edward's home, to the classic furniture and the ancient paintings that were the décor of Carlisle's study. I walked forward a little bit and a dark green wall caught my eye, adorned with many framed portraits.

I saw all of the family members I had met: Skye, Eric, Dante, Ira, Melena, and of course, Ary. There were three additional pictures of men I hadn't seen before. A distinct giggle pulled my attention away. Before I had a chance to turn around, I felt the same weight on my back as before.

"Hello Skye," I said, not needing to look. I still remembered my first lunch with the McRae's when she had nearly squeezed the life out of me.

"Hi Bella," I heard her cheery voice say. "I'm so glad to see you! I didn't know that Ary was bringing you over!" Her voice sounded partially hurt for being kept out of the loop.

"It was kind of a last minute thing," I said, shrugging.

"Very last minute," Ary said seriously. "Skye, will you do me a favor? Will you gather everyone and ask them to meet me down here?"

"Sure," she agreed. "Why? What's up?" Her question was more idle than probing.

"There's just something I need to ask everyone, including you," she said, her voice becoming serious.

"Okay, I'll go get them," she said happily and bounced out of the room. A split second later she bounced back in, still beaming. "B.T.W. my answer is yes!" With that, she exited and disappeared around the corner.

"Is she always—?" I started to ask.

Ary cut me off. "Yes," she said as she nodded her head. "She's always been a source of unending happiness. It's refreshing, yet irritating."

One by one, the McRae family filtered in. I smiled at them as they entered the living room. Although Ary had said we were expected, her family still acted surprised to see me. I shifted nervously and spied two massive figures, standing in a darkened doorway.

"Ary," a very masculine voice said, "what's going on?" His voice was not unkind or threatening. It was warm, pleasant, and reminded me so much of Carlisle that I froze, momentarily, and marveled at the dull ache I felt. Normally, my chest would begin to burn at the mention or thought of the Cullens; however, this time, I barely felt anything.

"Good," Ary sighed, relieved. "I was hoping that you were home. Come over here, both of you." She motioned and they moved forward, forcing me to step back.

"Bella Swan," Ary said, in a very formal tone, "I'd like you to meet my brother, Avarice McRae. Avarice, this is Bella." She stepped back, allowing us to meet face to face.

He moved from the shadows, swift and graceful, standing a few feet from me. His simple black clothes flattered every part of his body. His hair—almost as black as Ary's—was tied in a ponytail, with a few strays dangling in his face. Curious, perhaps, he slowly cocked his head to side as he stared at me, a soft smile across his face.

_Avarice McRae, the vampire I read about. _I felt my breath freeze in my throat as I remembered all the stories I had read. Avarice and his brother were supposed to be compassionate and kind. I wondered if that was why they consumed animal blood. Were they like the Cullens in that respect? As Avarice moved closer, a small part of me cowered in his massive shadow. All of the McRae men were tall and formidable, and Avarice was no exception.

I wasn't terrified, just intimidated. I smiled and held up my hand. "It's nice to meet you, Avarice."

Avarice looked amused as he stared at my outstretched hand. In a swift motion, he bent down, grasped my hand and kissed it. He leaned back, a warm smile covering his face, and brushed his hair away. Avarice's hair was long—but not as long as Eric's—and his liquid topaz eyes smoldered, sending a wave of awe through me.

"It's an honor and a privilege to make your acquaintance, Bella Swan." His voice was crisp and rich with accent. I could hear the charming sounds of his Irish heritage clinging to him. He leaned back and gave me a dazzling smile before turning to Ary. "Now Ary, what's all this about?"

She raised her finger, almost as if to scold him. "Now Avarice, we have not finished with the introductions," she said, smiling. With that Ary extended her hand to the figure that loomed behind Avarice. "Argos?"

The shadow moved toward us, and once again I was compelled to step backwards. "Bella Swan, I would like to introduce you to my brother, Argos."

As he stepped into the light I looked up for what seemed like forever. I was instantly reminded of Beauty and the Beast, when the beast first stepped into the light and poor Belle shied away from his massiveness. Like Avarice, Argos had his sandy blond hair tied into a loose ponytail. He was also wearing clothes—black slacks and a maroon shirt—that accentuated his physique. I swear, I could pick out almost every line of protruding muscle. However, there was something different about Argos. His eyes were not amber, but a bright shade of green—emerald. There was also a strange intelligence that burned behind them, an ancient understanding.

I noticed that Argos shifted almost nervously and narrowed his eyes at me. It took me a few seconds to realize that I was gawking at him.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Argos," I said, flushing bright red. "I didn't mean to stare— it's just you have very pretty eyes." The whole room immediately erupted with laughter. Everyone was laughing hysterical, including Avarice. I was surprised to see Argos flush redder than me.

"T-t-thank you Bella," he said and lowered his head bashfully. Argos's voice was heavy with an accent, almost Russian but not quite. Despite his threatening physique, his eyes were soft and his smile was warm. After bowing his head, he retreated next to Melena, who smiled and softly stroked his arm. He turned his eyes to her and smiled in return, letting his massive hand clasp her waist.

"So," Eric said, breaking the silence. "Why the meeting, Ary?" The rest of them nodded in agreement and confusion. I heard Ary take a deep breath as she began.

"We've protected each other for many years now," she said seriously. "I have guarded your secret as you have kept mine. Now, I ask for your permission to share your stories with Bella."

"Why?" Avarice leaned against the mantel of the fireplace staring at Ary.

"Excuse me?" Ary narrowed her eyes at her brother. "What was that, Avarice?"

"Why do you wish to include Bella?" Avarice asked as he fiddled with something behind him. "Just a few days ago you seemed absolutely convinced that she was nothing special."

That hurt, a lot. I tried to mask it, but my face betrayed me. I turned questioning eyes to Ary, who refused to look at me. I dropped my head and let the words replay in my head. _Nothing special…nothing special…_ _nothing special. _I shook my head, trying to get the words out, and gripped my waist as a familiar feeling gripped my insides. My hearing became muffled as I concentrated on keeping the pain from surfacing. I would not let this happen again in front of the McRae family.

I could hardly hear Ary talking now, but her voice was louder as she argued with her family. I glanced up in time to see her swiftly approach her brother and bare her teeth. I tried my best to clear my mind, but I was so consumed with the pain. I turned my head and caught sight of Eric. While the others were watching Avarice and Ary, Eric's eyes were locked on me. His eyes were soft and his lips were forming a tight line. As I stared at him, he slowly shook his head and frowned, letting his gaze fall down to the ground. Something about the look in his eyes refocused me. I took a deep breath as my hearing began to clear.

"She already knows what you are," Ary said as her voice became more powerful. "Well, the majority of you anyway."

"How does she know?" Ira demanded, her voice filled with desperation. Her eyes moved from me to Ary quickly. Was she accusing Ary of spilling their secrets?

"That's the funny part," she said, smiling ruefully. She turned to Avarice, who looked perplexed. "You will never believe who she was close with: the Cullens."

"The Cullens," Avarice said their name in awe and disgust. "What do you mean by close?"

"She was involved with one of Carlisle Cullen's fledglings," she said, smiling.

"Wait, wait," I said aloud. I had been quiet for too long. "You know Dr. Cullen and his family?"

Avarice exhaled loudly. "_Doctor _Cullen?" He scoffed loudly. "Lap dog to the Italians and slave to his own convictions." A few chuckles resonated from Avarice's siblings. "Yes, we know him."

I turned wary eyes to Ary.

"That's enough, Avarice," she said, throwing him an annoyed look.

"Hold on a second, Ary!" My eyes were wide with disbelief. _Okay, a new_ _family of vampires moves in—that's implausible but not overly_ _impossible—but one that knows the Cullens? _"How do you know the Cullens?"

Ary and Avarice shared a momentary look speculation. I had a good idea of what they were thinking. _Should we tell her?_

Ary sighed and sat down beside me. "Bella, that's one thing you shouldn't know." Her brow was heavily creased as she spoke.

"Ary," I felt my voice rising as well as my temper, "if you only knew what I've been through, you'd understand my need to know."

A deep growl emanated from the room. I didn't get a chance to search for its origin. Avarice strode across the room and placed his face within a few inches of mine. "Bella, if you had any idea what _we've _been through, you'd understand why we're _not _going to tell you." His eyes smoldered, and his voice sent a chill down my spine. The term dangerously attractive crossed my mind.

As I stared into his black eyes, I felt my hopes fall to the floor as I muttered, "Okay," and dropped the subject.

"As you were," I heard Ary mutter angrily, as she rose to her feet. "All right, let's get on with this vote."

"I'll tell her MY story," Skye said as she sat down beside me.

"No, Skye," Ary said. "If one person does not agree, then nothing will be told. I already know your vote. Eric?"

"Of course," Eric said, smiling at me suggestively. "I trust Bella. I trust her completely." All eyes in the room shifted to him. The girls shook their heads, disgusted, and Argos leaned and hit him on the back of the head. "Oww! Hey!"

Ary shook her head. "Ira? Dante? What are your votes?"

The young couple turned to one another but did not speak. I was very intrigued by their interlude; they appeared to be having an internal conversation. Did one of them have a special ability? A few moments later, Ira returned her attention to Ary. "I trust your judgment, Aryana."

Dante smiled and nodded his platinum blond head. "I am in agreement, you've never steered us wrong."

Ary nodded in response. "Melena? Argos? What do you think?"

"I think she bears no ill will towards us," Melena said, her voice soft. "I don't know why, but I feel she is trustworthy. I speak for myself and Argos."

"All right," Ary said, turning to Avarice. "Avarice, the deciding vote rests with you."

Avarice walked forward and looked at me and then looked back at Ary.

"Let me ask you this, Aryana. Do you trust her?" He shifted his attention and stared curiously at me.

"Yes, I do, Avarice," she said, determination in her voice.

"I trust you, Ary. My vote stands with the rest: yes." He smiled and nodded toward me. I managed a smile and returned my eyes to Ary.

"All right," Ary said, taking a deep breath. "Who goes first?"

Skye waved her hand in the air, like a child at school.

"I think Avarice should go first," Argos said, his tone serious and respectful. Avarice glanced up and smiled. The rest of the family seemed to agree, except Skye. Skye pouted her lips and sunk back into the sofa next to me.

"Well, where would you like me to start?" he asked, now eager to tell his story.

"Start from the beginning," Ary said. "Tell her everything."

Avarice walked to the fireplace and rested his arm on the mantle. He finally took a deep breath and turned towards the group, who were eyeing him intently. It almost seemed like they were as interested in hearing the story as I was. I quickly returned my eyes to Avarice, who appeared lost in thought.

"Bella," he said, seriously. "We are entrusting you with our secrets and our lives. Do you wish to carry this burden?"

I glanced around at the McRae family; they were all staring intently at me.

"Yes," I said, keeping my face serious. "I do."

"Ary speaks of your knowledge," he said, his tone growing sharper. "She says that you know what we are. I ask you now, Bella Swan, speak what you believe."

I took a breath, growing nervous. "I believe you, and others of your family, to be vampires," I said, having to force the words out of my mouth. I felt my face grow hot as I glanced around the room. Each one of the McRaes' was focused on my face, making me nervous.

Avarice nodded his head slowly. "And how is it that you have come to this conclusion?"

He was asking how I knew; what was the best answer? "I have spent a good amount of time around vampires," I said, my voice stronger now. "I have learned how to recognize them." I slowly noticed the McRae family glancing around, murmuring to one another.

"What have you noticed about us?" Avarice asked, his voice becoming more speculative. I looked at Ary, who nodded reassuringly.

"Well, I've noticed your family's eye color. It means you feed off animals." The surprised look on their faces made me smile smugly. They obviously were not aware that I knew so much. "Then there's your attractiveness, your smell, and you absence on your first day of school. Ary was there but the rest of you weren't, because the sun was out."

The McRaes smiled and chuckled.

"Aryana did not exaggerate," Avarice said with a smile. "You are quite perceptive, for a human. I'm very much impressed." He laughed.

I smiled, feeling happy and relieved; they _were _vampires. I was not crazy or imaging things, another family of vampires had come into my life. I wasn't overlooking the strange coincidence, but I wasn't going to complain about it either.

"This is odd." Ira's voice called my attention back to the present. Her face was bunched up, confused. "Normally when a human realizes we are vampires, they run screaming." The entire family chuckled and nodded in agreement.

I smiled. "Well, I've been around your kind before." I'd heard my reaction was strange before, too.

"Yes." Avarice's face became strained as he spoke. "Well, I guarantee you we are very different than the Cullens." There it was again. Whenever he spoke their name, there was a strange twist to his voice. It was as if their name disgusted him.

"All right," Ary's voice filled the room, "that's enough. Avarice, why don't you tell her your story? You know '_A Tale of Two Brothers'_."

There was a stifled giggle that filled the room as Avarice rolled his eyes and growled softly. "So that's what you're calling it now?"

"At least they've stopped with _Clash of the Titans,_" Argos smiled and chuckled.

"What's the _Tale of Two Brothers_?" I asked Ary, curiously.

She smiled. "That's what we call the story of Avarice becoming a vampire."

The family settled down as Avarice took a deep breath and turned to me, a serious look in his eyes. "Bella, I was born in Ireland in 1601." _1601? Holy crow, he's older than Carlisle!_ "Every day my brother, Lazarus, and I would work our hardest in the fields. There were plenty of times where we would sleep under the stars, guarding our sheep from the wolves."

I vaguely noticed Ary cringe at the mention of Lazarus' name. Though curious about her demeanor, I returned my attention to Avarice.

"I enjoyed my life but, like my older brother, I longed for a different experience. Predestination was a truth, not an idea in our life. We were born to be the good sons who tended the farm long after our parents died. Though this idea contented me, knowing I'd always have somewhere to call home, it also kept me from my true ambitions.

"I wanted a chance to fight, to be gain glory in battle. There were so many wars going on, I wanted to do my part. However, every time I spoke with my father, he would tell me that I was reaching beyond my grasp and scold me for my insolence." The memory was obviously painful for Avarice. His brow furrowed, and his eyes trailed to the floor before he continued.

"It was the fall of my 25th year when my life changed forever. I had just spoken once again with my mother and father about leaving and joining the battles raging across the lands when a boy ran into our house, screaming that Lazarus, my brother, was dead. I start immediately running, hoping it was a lie. I found my brother by the river, almost lifeless. The dogs that had been his protectors were lying dead all around him.

"I cradled my brother's head in my arms as I lay there next to him. When I leaned in, I could feel him breathing. I picked him up and whisked him back to the house as fast as I could. My parents demanded to know what had happened to their first born. I showed them his neck and surmised that it was a wolf. I told them not to worry, he was still alive.

"The next few days I took to remaining by his side all day. He was my brother, my best friend. I couldn't be away from him. I believe it was the fourth day of his supposed illness that it happened. I was pacing in his room when I saw him start to shake. Running to his side, I begged him to stay with me, to wake up. It was then that his eyes—now a morbid shade of red—flew wide open. He took a deep breath and lurched at me. He bit into my neck and I begged for him to stop. I began to punch him and push him. I could do nothing but wait and hope for him to release me. Suddenly, I began to feel a scalding pain. I truly felt like my skin was burning and peeling off." I cringed at the description of the pain, briefly remembering James and the burning feeling.

"The bedroom door was thrown open, and my mother and father appeared. Their presence must have startled Lazarus. It was at this point that I completely blacked out. The pain was so intense that I could not keep myself conscious. It took about four days for me to transform. At last, I opened my eyes to see my brother staring at me, his face full of concern and horror. My brother was devastated; he had murdered our parents, all the helpers, and a girl that lived down the road, the girl he had always felt he loved." His body began to slightly tremble as he spoke.

"My brother provided me the unconscious body of one of our field hands. I had grown up with him. His father had known mine as a boy. He was a person I knew well, and I couldn't do anything but…feed." His bottom lip quivered as his hand curled into a fist.

"Avarice," I spoke quickly. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to interrupt."

He managed a smile and nodded. "Oh, it's all right, Bella, my story is concluded. I don't think there's much more to tell."

Eight sets of eyes were on me now, and I grew nervous. "I just wanted to ask you a question." His eyes held a confused and amused stare. "I, well, kind of found information about you on the internet."

Avarice's head jerked back in surprise. "Oh? I did not know I was on the World Wide Web." He smiled wide, causing his eyes to tighten.

Ary's voice grabbed my attention. "Skye," she sounded annoyed. "You didn't make him a MySpace page, did you?"

Avarice's brow indented as he turned to Ary. "What's MySpace?"

"You're kidding, right? Avarice, I'm older than you, and I know what Myspace is." Ary shook her head. "Well, back to your question, Bella."

My mouth was wide open as I stared at Ary. She turned and her eyes widened. "Bella? What's wrong?"

"You're older than Avarice?" I remembered our earlier conversations. Ary didn't know her birthday or how old she was. She only knew that she had been eighteen for a _very long time._

Ary sighed. "Don't worry, Bella. We'll get to that."

I swallowed and nodded, attempting to find my voice. "Well, Avarice, I read somewhere that you were known for your compassion. I was curious if that's the reason you drink animal blood and not human."

Avarice's face could only be described as shocked. His lips curled up as he narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about, Bella?"

"You know what it is?" Ary spoke before I could answer. "It was that one time, remember? When you rescued those girls from the barn - I told you that would bite you in the ass someday."

The family began to laugh again, and I stared at them, confused. Ary took note of my demeanor and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Bella," she frowned as she spoke. "We don't mean to sound so heartless. It's just funny to see how certain things work."

"But, I don't understand." I was confused. I lowered my head and shook it side to side. "You do drink animal blood, right?"

Avarice smiled sadly. "Yes, Bella, but not for the reason you believe." He sighed and hesitated a little. "The best way I can explain is this. Have you seen a population map? You know, a red dot indicates a certain amount of people?" I nodded. "Well, as you get close to big cities, the red becomes dense and thick; this indicates a heavily populated area. In this place, a vampire could easily feed two times a week, and it would go unnoticed." I nodded again, beginning to understand. "However, in a rural area, like Forks, the red is sparse, and a death causes suspicion. So it's more convenient to consume animal blood in rural areas."

I was confused by his answer. The Cullens had been able to fit in more, with their topaz eyes; how were the McRaes able to fit in? "But, how would you go unnoticed around humans? I mean, at school and such?"

"We don't attend school too often," Melena said with a smile. "Usually, we only go when we're bored. You see, Bella, we never stay in one place longer than a year. We're forced to move around a lot,"

Melena's voice became strained towards the end. I remembered Ary's angered voice when she spoke of moving away from Sudbury. It appeared Melena was also unhappy about moving.

I shifted uncomfortably. I was sitting in a room with six confirmed vampires who did not value human life. They consumed animals strictly for convenience. I glanced around, my heart starting to pound. An extremely warm sensation caught me off guard. I jumped and found it was only Ary, stroking my shoulder. She grimaced at my reaction, and her eyes became cautious. "Bella, no one here will hurt you, trust me."

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><p><em>Author's Note: Repost <em>


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: **The Annamorphos**

I relaxed back into the plush sofa as the tension in the room began to dissipate. The McRaes began murmuring and conversing amongst themselves. Some spoke about Avarice's story and some seemed to be speaking a strange language that sounded like random jargon. I placed my elbows on my knees and let myself catch up with the previous story.

Avarice and his yet-to-be-seen brother, Lazarus, were vampires from Ireland, with a strange disdain for the Cullens. _Do they not like the Cullens or do they just dislike Carlisle? _My curiosity was concentrated on one question, though: how did the McRae family know the Cullen family? I recounted what Avarice had said but it didn't get me anywhere.

_'Doctor Carlisle Cullen…lapdog to the Italians and slave_ _to his own convictions, yes we know him.'_

I furrowed my brow as I attempted to make sense out of all this. Edward had never told me about any kind of feud or enemies they had. _Maybe it_ _was something else he was keeping from me. _I slowly snaked my right arm around my midsection; despite the warming sensation I felt earlier, the pain was ever present.

"Bella?" Ary's voice of concern recalled my attention and the pain fizzled out a bit. "Are you all right?"

I wondered if she had seen me wrap my arm around myself, and I felt my face burning with a bright red flush.

Ary's face appeared alarmed as I grew more embarrassed. "Bella? Is everything okay? Do you have a fever?"

I lifted my head to explain my incessant redness and was mortified to find the entire McRae family was gawking at me. _That does it. _My face practically exploded, feeling like it was on fire, and I started to feel a little bit nauseous.

"Is she going to faint?" Melena asked, moving closer to me with a horrified expression, her sandy blond hair whisked out of her face so she could inspect me. I flinched at the coldness of her fingers and groaned internally while she fussed over me. "Argos? I know what will help—your specialty tea."

Without speaking, Argos glided out of the room through the same door he had come from. The light in the next room clicked on, and I was vaguely aware of rustling noises and the sound of pouring water. The others murmured anxiously to themselves, forcing my face to flush even more. I cringed as Ira narrowed her eyes skeptically; she was no doubt disturbed by my newly reddened pigment. Much to my delight, an elegant aroma wafted into my nostrils, the smell of peaches, strawberries, and passion fruit. I closed my eyes, letting the scent overpower my senses.

"Her skin looks much better." I recognized Avarice's voice as I focused on the aroma. If they paid too much attention, then it would happen all over again. _Nobody is paying attention to you…nobody is paying attention to_ _you. _The mantra—however much of a lie it was—helped me a great deal.

I opened my eyes in time to catch Argos striding back into the room, a white mug in his hand. He very carefully kneeled at my feet and presented the cup to me, as if it were a ring. I smiled at the action before sipping the tea.

My breath caught in my throat as the flavor flooded my taste buds. It was glorious! The smell had been a citrus compound, but the taste was so much better. My mouth was alive with the symphony of all the fruits I loved: _Oranges, apples, peaches, strawberries…it just goes on._

Despite the heat of the fresh tea, I finished the mixture quickly, much to the delight of my hosts, and smiled at Argos, who was still at my feet. "Oh gosh, Argos, did you make that?" He nodded and the light from the fireplace made his green eyes twinkle like emeralds. "That was so delicious!"

He bent his head forward. "Thank you, Bella."

"Are you all right now, Bella?" Avarice asked as Argos returned to his position next to Melena.

I nodded as a strange wave of confidence filled me. "Yes, thank you, Avarice."

"So, what was that?" Eric asked and narrowed his eyes humorously. "No offense, _mi Bella, _but you looked like a tomato."

A comment like this would normally send me spiraling back into a nervous fit; however, the tea had given me a strange boost. "I get embarrassed really easily."

Ary touched my shoulder, warming my entire body in the gesture. "Why were you embarrassed?"

I didn't know how long this sense of security would hold, and I wasn't willing to risk it, so I shrugged and chuckled a bit. "I'm not exactly sure."

The subject was dropped, and the family picked up their previous conversations. I breathed in heavily and let my eyes trail around the large room, taking in the decorations and paintings. In the adjacent hallway, I swore I could see a Picasso. _It's probably a real one, too. _I chucked softly and began evaluating each member of their family internally.

The first one to come to mind was Avarice, the Irish vampire, who had longed to go to war when he was human. It was something he had in common with Edward, whose goal was destroyed by the Spanish Influenza. I often wondered what Edward's life would have been like had he not gotten sick. My internal pain began to rise, and I forced myself to focus on the next McRae.

Ira and Dante were sitting together, discussing something in low voices, holding hands and staring at one another. They were very friendly towards me in the lunchroom, but they appeared shy now—sneaking side glances at me every now and then. Since Avarice confirmed that he was a vampire, I was about 75 percent sure that they were vampires, as well. Before I could dissect their body language, Eric waved to me.

"Hey Bella, watch this," he said to me slyly before calling over to Argos. "Hey Argos, tell us again what happened in Romania."

A hush fell over the family as Argos narrowed his eyes and pulled his lips over his teeth. His former docile expression contorted into a menacing glare, and when he spoke it sent shivers through me. "Erickson…don't."

The fear in me escalated as I noticed a ripple run across his skin, a tremor of some kind. I jerked my head back in shock and leaned back against Ary. "Ary, did his skin just move?"

Ary's exhaled heavily and leaned forward, a look of agitation on her face. "Argos, that's enough; you're scaring the human."

His demeanor changed instantaneously. His glare retreated to his soft stare, he relaxed his posture, and his skin stopped quivering. "I'm sorry, Bella, please forgive me."

I was struck by the sincerity of his tone, he was almost begging. I shook my head incredulously before smiling at him. "It's all right." But I turned quickly to Ary with a bewildered expression. "What just happened?"

"That," Ary muttered in an exasperated tone, "was Argos coming dangerously close to phasing." She threw a quick threatening gaze at Eric before focusing her eyes on me. "Don't worry, he wouldn't have hurt you—the house, maybe."

_Dangerously close to phasing? What's phasing? _"Ary, what do you mean by 'phasing'?"

The muttering around me stopped. Glancing around, I noticed the entire family's eyes were on me. Some of them gawked with curiosity while others stared with skepticism. However, Ary simply smiled at me, like I'd asked the million dollar question.

"Well." She pursed her lips as she appeared to concentrate on something. Her indented brow faltered and a warm smile spread across her tight lips. "Bella, phasing is when Argos changes from a man to…an animal."

I couldn't restrain my reaction, jerking my neck back and widening my eyes anxiously, as I mulled over what Ary said. _Change from a man to an_ _animal? _"I don't follow."

Ary looked down and chuckled a bit, before motioning to Argos. "Bella, I'm sure you've noticed that we don't have golden irises." As Ary spoke, Argos moved around the sofa and rested at her feet. "I'm sure you've seen that we—well, I—don't drink blood." He leaned forward and suddenly seized my hands in his—the heat coming off them was shocking. "Do you wonder why our skin burns, while the others' is frozen?"

I nodded and quickly shrugged as Argos released my hands. "I-I-I've been trying to figure it out, but I haven't been successful." I shook my hands, now a little moist from Argos' grasp. "Ary, what are you?"

"I," she said slowly and motioned towards her brother, "and Argos, are what we call Annamorphos."

I rolled the word over in my mind but could not find its meaning. "A-AAnnamorphos?"

She nodded. "Um, should I know what that is?"

She laughed at my question, as did Argos, and rested her hand on my shoulder. "Bella, Argos and I are hybrids."

_Hybrid, that's a name that I know. _A hybrid was a cross between two species; I knew that much from Biology. "A hybrid of what?"

"A shapeshifter and a vampire," she said, turning away from me. Hanging her head she started to massage her temples, while Argos rested his hand on her shoulder.

I narrowed my eyes curiously. "Ary, what's a shapeshifter?"

She looked at me again, this time with raised eyebrows. "You don't know? Bella, I'm very surprised. You spent so long around the supernatural and yet you don't know about shifters?" She looked at me, seeing the blank expression, and sighing deeply. I swore I heard her mutter something about "just what did those Cullens teach you?"

I swallowed, forcing the pain in my stomach further down. Their continued malignance towards my

favorite people wasn't exactly sitting well with me. I still didn't know why they disliked them so much. I opened my mouth, but she started talking before I could ask. "A shapeshifter is someone who can transform into an animal."

"An animal?" I asked with a bewildered expression. Attempting to visualize something like that was almost impossible. "What kind of animal?"

"Well," Ary started to speak but didn't finish. Her face had resumed its contemplative stare. Sensing the pause, Avarice picked up.

"To say that they change into animals is a loose translation," he said with a smile. "Normal shapeshifters can change into larger versions of animals."

Ary sighed heavily before turning to Avarice. "Yes, perfect description. Argos and I are far from normal, aren't we?"

"You know that's not what I meant, Aryana." He rolled his eyes as he addressed her. "Besides, which one of us is normal?" She was silent and Avarice continued. "You see Bella, Argos and Aryana do not change into animals fully. They take on certain characteristics, like humanoids." I stared at him blankly, and he tried again. "Have you heard of anthropomorphosis?" I shook my head at the big word. "It's the attribution of human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings, much similar to the white rabbit in _Alice in Wonderland_."

With that small detail, I was able to get somewhat of a mental image. So, Ary and Argos turned into strange animals that walked on two legs? Although, this seemed a little too incredible to be real, I had to look where I was. I was technically having tea with vampires. "All right, so you can

change into animals."

Ary laughed and shook her head. "You're handling all this information well. It's unsettling."

I grinned and shrugged. "I've had practice." Looking at Ary and Argos, I noticed how different they appeared. Argos was almost seven feet tall with sandy blond hair and piercing emerald eyes. Ary was about five foot five, with long black hair and striking blue eyes. The only thing they shared was their pallid complexion. "So, what kind of animals do you turn into?"

Ary hesitated before answering my question. "Well…I can change into a cat-like creature, and Argos changes into something similar to a bear."

I cocked my head curiously. "A cat-like creature—do you mean like a house cat?"

Her eyes widened incredulously as she shook her head rapidly. "No, Bella, much bigger."

"Bigger?"

She laughed softly. "When I change, I grow in size and mass. Take what you see now, add about two feet, and a few hundred pounds of muscle mass and fur." The others chuckled at her description while I simply gawked. "Argos gets bigger as well—but not by much."

Still attempting to get a good visual, I shook my head. "H-How did this happen?"

"That," Avarice said as he took a seat next to Skye, throwing his arm around her, "is an interesting story. Ary?"

Before she could begin Avarice stood straight up once again. "Oh my goodness, please excuse me. I have to make a phone call."

As Avarice glided towards the hallway, Ary shifted and muttered something over her shoulder. It sounded like 'tell him I say hello', but I couldn't be sure. She abruptly shifted and was facing me again.

Once again, I found myself trying to catch up with everything that I had just learned. _All right, so Ary and Argos can change into animal-like_ _creatures_. A rush of excitement overtook me as I thought about it.

_What_ _would something like that look like? To see a human change into an…_ _animal. _"Ary?"

"Yes?" She raised her eyebrows.

"So, can I see you and Argos change into—?"

Ary's demeanor changed instantaneously, her nostrils flaring and her eyes widening in horror. "No."

I pulled away from her as her blue irises flourished with a yellow tint, something I had seen prior. "Um, okay Ary." I cast a worried look to the others, a tight queasiness forming in my stomach. I felt a cold sensation wash across me. Looking up, I realized Eric's arms had formed a protective cage around me. I hadn't even seen him move from his perch.

Another memory popped into my mind as Ary glared at me. I could perfectly recall sitting in the cafeteria and asking Edward if I could see him hunt. He had reacted in almost the same manner.

Eric craned his neck around my head and hissed at her. "Would you control yourself, Aryana?"

Butterflies formed in my stomach as he wrapped his arms tighter around me, shielding me from danger, and forcing my heart to take off. My head began to spin wildly, doubling my vision and giving me a small headache. I leaned into Eric, holding my breath so his scent wouldn't overwhelm me, and gave Ary a bewildered stare. A familiar tremor ran through her entire skin, a quiver; I had seen this previously with Argos. For a split second I felt weightless, traveling backwards through the air. When I met the ground, my back was to the wall and Eric's back was pressed against me protectively. I peeked around and spied Argos and Ary standing in front of one another. My body began to shake as I remembered the previous

episode in my home. I tried to slow my breathing as my heart continued to pound, further emphasizing the fear.

Argos began speaking a language that I could not identify, sounding much like the words Eric and Dante exchanged earlier. Whatever it was, Ary seemed to be calming rapidly. Her body language—once tense and rigid—was softening and relaxing before my eyes

With a deep sigh, she peered around Argos and locked eyes with me, a look of grief on her face. "Bella…I'm so sorry." Before I could answer, she turned and sped up the winding staircase, disappearing to the upper levels of the house.

"Ary?" I called after her, but she did not reappear. I turned to Eric who was staring at me with an apologetic grimace. "What happened?"

He sighed as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder, the frigidness of his skin reviving old memories, causing me to cringe uncomfortably. "Ary is quite possibly the oldest in the family and the strongest." We both took a seat on the couch. "Unfortunately, that strength is difficult to control and sometimes overtakes her."

I gazed sadly at the staircase and wondered if she would come back. I realized that even if she could, I couldn't sympathize with her. She was obviously over 300 years old, since she was older than Avarice. My curiosity was sparked. "Eric, how old is Ary?"

Eric hesitated, almost as if I had asked the one question he'd hoped I wouldn't. After a few seconds of silent deliberation he grinned. "We don't know."

I was perplexed by this. No one, not even Ary herself, seemed to know her age. What, did she mysteriously sprout out of the ground? "I don't understand. How can she not know how old she is?"

"Well," Eric said bleakly as he turned away from me. "When she was bitten, a lot of her memories faded—what memories she had remaining, I mean."

"Wait," I held up my hands and moved closer to him. "What do you mean, when she was bitten?"

"Ary was bitten by a vampire, Bella."

He looked at me like I was missing something. "That's how she became a hybrid." I narrowed my eyes as he continued speaking. "It's strange. Normally, our venom is deadly to shapeshifters and werewolves, but something in her DNA bonded with it."

I nodded as I listened. _So Ary was not always…like she is. She was bitten by a vampire just like the rest of them. _"But that doesn't explainwhy she doesn't know how old she is."

"Sure it does," Eric nodded and wrapped his arm around me again, his golden eyes smoldering. "You see, Ary's memories had faded by the time Avarice and Lazarus found her. So, when she was bitten, those already fading memories became nonexistent. You start to forget things after a

few hundred years, Bella."

I shrugged. What was I supposed to say to that? I was only eighteen years old, not 100 and definitely not over 300. I leaned forward towards the fire. Eric's skin was chilling me to the bone. At least Edward had always provided me with a blanket. I cringed softly and gripped my midsection.

A gust of wind caught my attention. Avarice had rushed into the room, a concerned look on his face. "I'm afraid we'll have to cut this short, Bella."

He looked anxiously to the others and they were quickly on their feet. _Did I miss something? _Why did Avarice seem in such a hurry already? Did it have something to do with his phone call? I sighed and looked at the clock on the wall. _Oh gosh, it's 3:45 already? _I would definitely suffer for this in the morning. As I stood up, I panned over the six vampires before me with fascination. My eyes rested on Avarice who, after viewing his command over the family, appeared to be the leader. _Wow, he's over 400 years old. He's older than all of the Cullens! Carlisle, Edward,_ _Jasper... _

Curiosity flushed through me as I thought of the struggling Cullen who had tried to attack me. "Avarice," he turned curious eyes to

me, "do you mind if I ask you one last question?"

"Not at all," he smiled warmly. "What would you like to know?"

"Well," I stammered a bit, trying to get the words out. "Do you find it difficult to be around me?" His indented brow told me that I wasn't being specific enough. "I mean, since I'm a human, does the smell of my blood bother you?"

The family chuckled softly.

"Bella." I turned as Dante called my name. He and Ira had remained silent for almost the entire evening. He now stared at me with a look that could only be described as amused. "We're not newborns."

I felt my face flush a little bit. "I know, Dante, I was just curious. You see, some of the Cullens had a difficult time being around me." The memory of Jasper's attack sent a shiver through me. "One of them in particular."

Their expressions became shocked quickly. Ira and Dante threw wide eyed glances to one another. Argos and Melena's eyes were open wide with obvious horror, and the remainder of them mirrored their expressions. I became unsettled as none of them spoke.

"Just how young were these _Cullens_?" Dante hissed as he rose from his seat.

I grimaced at his response. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to offend you."

"No Bella." Dante's expression softened as me moved toward me. "You have by no means offended us. We are simply appalled by those who cannot control themselves." He shook his head before wrapping his arms around me. The gesture surprised me completely. "You are safe with us, my dear."

I sighed as he pulled away and smiled at him. "Thank you, Dante." As he turned away, a feeling of dread washed over me. I didn't have a ride home. "Uh, I hate to be a bother but, how do I get home?"

"I'll take you home."

We all turned to the staircase. Ary had returned.

"Are you sure, Aryana?" Eric asked, moving to the base of the stairs. She nodded. "All right."

Unfortunately, Ary thought driving would cause too much noise—Charlie might wake up. So she decided to use her alternate, and favorite, means of travel. A wave of memories washed over me as Ary thrust me over her shoulder like a backpack. After asking if I was all right, she launched herself into the woods at high speed. I had always thought that Edward was fast—remembering when he carried me from the meadow to the truck and the nausea that followed—but this was so much different. Maybe it was the darkness that amplified my senses, but it felt like Ary was faster. The trees were a blur as I mistakenly opened my eyes attempting to see where we were. A surge of queasiness overtook me, forcing me to close them quickly. A few minutes passed and her speed abated, almost stopping completely. I opened my eyes and found us moving at a brisk pace, up my street. My house came into view, and I was relieved to see that all the lights were

off.

Despite my relief, I still did not know how I planned on climbing through my own window. However, as if reading my mind, Ary took a running leap and planted herself in the tree next to my window. She maneuvered through the branches and leapt towards the house, forcing me to close my eyes and hold my breath.

Ary sighed impatiently, and I opened my eyes. She was gripping the side of the window, waiting for me to climb in. I shifted and, without looking down, clambered inside my room, relishing the feeling of solid ground. I thrust myself on my bed and looked back to the window; Ary had joined me in my room.

"Thank you, Ary," I smiled.

"For what?" she asked and, with a curious grin, joined me on the bed. I sighed. "For including me."

She sniggered lightly. "Well, thank you for not freaking out." She lifted herself off the bed and headed for the window.

"Wait," I called to her. "Will you stay for a little bit?"

I couldn't really make out her expression in the dark. "All right."

She crossed the room and took a seat in my rocking chair, the one Edward used to sit in. I gripped my stomach as the internal wound began to ache. I shifted painfully so I could stare at Ary. We sat in silence for a minute before I sighed. "So, you were bitten by a vampire, huh?"

She exhaled slowly. "Yes."

"What was it like?" I asked as I kicked off my shoes.

"Painful." I nodded, understanding fully what she meant. "Are you afraid of me now?"

"No," I said, a little too quickly. "I mean, you freaked me out, but I'm not terrified of you—Eric explained everything to me."

"Oh, he did?" Her voice became amused. "Please tell me what my brother said."

"Well," I wavered a little, curious if I should tell her. Maybe she didn't want me to know. _No, she was the one who insisted the family air their_ _secrets. _"He said that you are very strong, and sometimes that strength is hard to control."

"Hmm," she hummed silently before snorting. "Something he would know nothing about."

We fell back into an awkward silence. I leaned back into my pillow and felt the full weight of my exhaustion. I yawned loudly.

"Bella, you should get some sleep." Ary stood up from the chair and maneuvered beside me. "We'll talk more tomorrow."

"Wait, can I ask you one more thing?" I was mumbling as my consciousness began to fail me.

"If you can," Ary sighed.

I forced my eyes open and focused hard. "Why do you cringe when you hear Lazarus' name?"

In the dark I could see her head jerk back. "What?"

My eyes felt like they were made of lead, they blinked slowly, aching to close. "Every time Avarice mentioned him, you reacted strange."

Ary chuckled before exhaling. "Bella, get some sleep; you're talking nonsense." She glided across my room and, as I blinked, she was gone.

I sighed softly and succumbed to my fatigue.

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><p><em>Author's Note: Repost <em>


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 :**Holiday**

"Oh my god," I groaned miserably, as the alarm clock buzzed from across the room. I usually didn't need to use it, because I always woke up before the noisy contraption, but given my late hours last night, it was necessary.

Rubbing my eyes, which were already starting to droop, I shivered as the memory of my most recent dream played inside my mind. The dreams, up until now, had consisted of me being alone in the forest, searching for what I loved most. However, my recent night terrors had been quite different all together.

_Walking into a clearing, the light was splashed across my face, filling me with a sense of warmth. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, relishing the contentment I felt swimming through my veins._

_A twig suddenly snapped, forcing me to open my eyes and scan the bright meadow, cautiously. I relaxed as a familiar person stepped into my view. Ary—pale skin glowing under the sun—appeared with a solemn expression. Her mouth was turned down and her eyes glistened with concern._

_As I stared at her, confused, another twig snapped, and I forced myself to look in the direction of the sound. My mouth fell open and quivered as another familiar person joined us in the clearing. "Alice?"_

_There was an explosion of light as little Alice Cullen walked into the middle of the meadow. She wore a blank expression and her eyes were fixed on me._

_My lips begin to quiver as I gawked at my best friend. "Alice?" I called out again, my voice sounding hollow and empty, even in a dream. My voice again, my voice sounding hollow and empty, even in a dream. My voice echoed in desperation as I stared at her while she glittering, in all her glory._

_"Bella." Alice's voice retained its rich texture and glorious sound, making me rejoice and cringe at the resurfacing memories. "You've replaced me?"_

_Her question stabbed deep inside me, causing me to double over in pain. However, the excruciating pain was nothing compared to the agony behind her eyes. Alice's brow was wrinkled, and her mouth open, as if she were suffering, and her eyes burned into mine._

_I recoiled from her question, like I had been slapped. "No!" I stared up at her from my hunched position, still attempting to control the agony. "I could never replace you!"_

_Her face brightened with hope and she took a step closer to me, her movements gracefully cautious. I smiled and straightened myself, wanting nothing more than to hug my best friend._

_A loud growl cut my musing short, as Ary moved to stand in front of me, her form blurring before my eyes. "Ary, what's happening?" I could no longer see. The sun was blinding me, forcing my eyes closed, as I made an attempt to see what was happening._

_All at once, a strange sound filled my ears—an abnormal ripping noise— and a loud snarl filled the remaining silence. A shadow fell on me, eclipsing the sun and providing me a small bit of vision. The monstrosity before me was gigantic, at least seven feet in height, and was covered in fur. I opened my mouth, ready to scream, when the creature began to speak clear and audibly._

_"Stay where you are, Cullen!" The gigantic beast roared and took a step forward, flexing its paws menacingly. The fur, darkened by the shadows, became white as snow as it stepped further into the sunlight. Alice, whose wild eyes and open mouth had been frozen solid, suddenly bared her teeth and crouched low, hissing loudly. _

_Her defensive reaction caused the beast to laugh uncontrollably. "Do you think you can hinder me?"_

_Shaking with terror, I lurched forward. "Please, don't fight. I love you both!" I recoiled as the words sunk in. Did I know the creature?_

_Before I could think anymore, the monster let out an ear splitting roar, forcing me to cover my ears and scream. I had never heard such a sound before; it was near deafening. I tried to stop the fight, crying out to Alice, but my voice was insignificant against the growling and hissing._

_"I won't allow you to hurt her anymore!" the creature shouted while coiling into a crouch, much similar to Alice's. What was happening? I thought about throwing myself between them, to stop this mindless fighting; however the white animal beat me to the punch. Before I could act on my idea, there was a huge white blur, moving across the clearing towards Alice Cullen. Alice appeared to tense up, preparing herself for the attack, and all I could do was scream._

I sighed and stared at the developing light outside my window, and rubbed my eyes again. It was going to be a very long day. I glanced at the alarm clock, which was still buzzing annoyingly, and groaned. _It's time to_ _start the day. _As I shut off the noisy machine, I exhaled as my room became more illuminated, by the sun. "Okay Bella, you can do this."

The pep talk did very little to rise my spirits. True, I found out about the McRaes, but I still felt hollow and empty. I turned and gazed at my rocking chair, visualizing the one who used to greet me, every morning, from that perch. As the pain arose, I shuddered and pulled my mind to the present.

As I reached for a towel, so I could start my morning ritual, I heard a familiar pair of footsteps coming towards my door. I grumbled softly, knowing what was coming, as the owner of the feet stopped outside my door. Seconds later, after what I assumed was deliberations, there was a gentle knock at my door.

"Hey Bells, you awake?" Charlie called through the door, his wariness still evident in his voice.

I was already used to Charlie's cautious attitude now. Since my rescue in the woods, I had been treated like a mental patient. I didn't mind because technically I was one.

"Yeah, Dad," I called as I moved to the door, preparing myself for whatever he wanted to say.

Charlie sighed as I opened the door. Was that relief I saw on his face? "You all right, Bells?" he asked seriously and narrowed his eyes. Despite the intensity of the subject, my shy father let his gaze wander all around my room; anywhere expect in my eyes. "I—uh—heard you again."

"Yeah," I murmured and lowered my eyes. "I'm sorry, Dad; I don't know when these nightmares are going to stop." I silently cursed my infernal 'sleep talking.' If only I could just keep my mouth shut when I slept, then I wouldn't be having this conversation.

"You don't need to apologize, Bella," Charlie grumbled as he finally looked me in the eye. "Just let me know if there's anything you need. You know, if you ever change your mind about…"

"No, Dad," I said and shook my head. The last thing I wanted was to leave this place—I needed to be here, to remember him and the rest of the Cullens. "I won't change my mind. This is my home, this is where I want to be." I looked at his skeptical face and sighed softly. "Here with you."

"Thanks Bells," he said and his face brightened up a bit. "But I don't want you to hurt yourself on account of me."

"Dad," I said firmly while staring him straight in the eyes. "I am doing this for me." Charlie opened his mouth, looking like he was going to contest my decision again, but slowly shut it and nodded. He smiled softly, turned, and disappeared down the stairs.

I breathed a sigh of relief after closing my door, and rubbed my forehead. I felt terrible—I wanted to tell him so much but I just couldn't. It wasn't just the Cullens' secret that muted me, this was how things were with my father; we kept to ourselves.

Glancing back to the clock, I rushed to the bathroom. While I showered, I let my mind idle and soon I was thinking about my most recent dream. _Is it_ _true? Am I truly replacing the Cullens with this new family?_

Unfortunately, as I thought about Edward and his family, the festering hole began to burn. _If I'm replacing them, then why am I still in pain?_

I dressed quickly, keeping my mind clear as best I could, and made sure all my homework was intact. I didn't want to fall behind again, and I zipped up my backpack and headed downstairs. Hoping against the odds that Charlie had gone to work, I reached the kitchen, relieved that he had.

There was a note attached to the fridge.

_Bells, heading into work early. We're out of coffee, would you mind picking some up from the store? Thanks_

I looked around for a grocery list, but quickly remembered who I was living with, and sighed. I scribbled down a list of bare essentials, grabbed the money, and my backpack.

When I arrived, I noticed a big group of my friends standing around outside, around a huge tree. I also noticed a third car parked next to the McRaes vehicles. The vehicle was silver, with a logo that I knew—

Mercedes. Carlisle had driven one much similar to this. Like the BMW SUV and the Audi, this one was being ogled by a group of male students. Sighing, I made my way towards the main building and was almost to the door when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Jessica standing behind me.

"Oh," I said, attempting to shroud my displeasure. "Hi, Jess."

"Hi, Bella." Her voice was sharp and she was glaring at me. "So what did you do yesterday? I saw you leave with that new girl."

"Yeah, _Aryana_." I was a little upset that Jessica didn't have the courtesy to remember her name. "She needed some help on homework, so I tutored her."

"Bella, can I ask you something?" Her voice was demanding and it made me uncomfortable.

_Oh no, here we go. _"S-Sure Jess," I said, stammering a little. "What's up?"

"Bella are we friends?" She leaned back and cocked her head to the side.

I swallowed as I felt my face flush. "Of course we are Jess," I said, trying to sound sincere.

"Really? Because you don't act like it." Her voice increased. "I'm sorry, but ever since, _they _left," she paused, I was sure my horrified face caused it, "you act like none of us even exist. It's not just me, but Eric, Mike, Angela, Ben…everyone has noticed it." Her volume had grown even louder now. I looked around and saw other people beginning to stare. "Bella, if you don't want to be friends with us, then do us a favor and tell us!"

"Jess that's not what this is about." My voice sounded small as I began to plead. "It's not that I don't want to hang out with you."

"Oh, it isn't?" Her voice became arrogant, reminding me of Lauren. "Then, please, tell me what it is." I paused, not sure what to say. "I'm waiting,

Bella Swan."

"My goodness, will you stop it?" Like a wave of church bells, releasing the patrons into the streets, a beautiful voice cut through the air with vicious grace. Jess and I both turned to see Melena standing a few feet from us. The sweet girl I had previously met, had disappeared and a harsh looking woman had taken her place. Melena's eyes were fierce and her jaw was tight. Her onyx eyes bore viciously into Jessica Stanley.

"Excuse me?" Jess' voice demanded as she faced Melena. Although she was attempting to be confident, I could see Jess trembling as Melena's eyes poured over her.

"Bella, this is not Jessica Stanley, is it?" Melena voice was full of distaste and revulsion.

Jessica answered before I could speak. "Yes, I'm Jessica," she said, her voice losing none of its haughtiness.

"You can't be," Melena said, shaking her head. "Just the other day, Bella was telling my family and I about a sweet girl named Jessica Stanley. She said that this girl was one of the nicest and most understanding girls at Forks High School. I cannot even fathom that you can be this girl."

I had to keep myself from laughing. I never expected Melena could be so devious. She was purposely attempting to embarrass Jessica, although she didn't have to try very hard. I had never told Melena or any of the McRaes such things about Jessica.

"Bella said that about me?" Jessica stuttered and began to turn bright pink.

"Yes," Melena continued, eyeing the little girl intently, "she said she regarded you as one of her best friends. I am appalled that you would speak to her in such a manner."

Jessica glanced around; she noticed, as I did, that we now had an audience. Her face became red with embarrassment. "Bella," she said, softly. "I'm really very sorry." Without waiting for my reaction, Jessica

turned and fled indoors.

Returning my eyes to my savior, I watched her stare down every spectator.

"I don't know if you are truly wonderful or truly terrible, Melena," I said as I approached her.

Melena gave me wicked smile and bared her teeth. "I don't know why you don't just tell that Jessica girl to go away," she said, her voice full of displeasure. "She's not a very good person."

"She's been a good friend in the past." I sighed.

"That may be true," she said softly. "However, this is the present. Oh, by the way, who is Lauren Mallory?" A groan escaped me and Melena chuckled. "Someone you like, I take it?"

"She doesn't like me," I said, grimacing. "It was all a misunderstanding, but the bottom line is, she would be happier if I was not in Forks."

"Well," Melena said secretively, "she has made a huge mistake."

"What do you mean?" I narrowed my eyes, curiously.

"Lauren is in one of Aryana's classes." Melena's smile grew mischievous. "She was saying some terrible things about you, so Ary turned and glared "She was saying some terrible things about you, so Ary turned and glared at her. I'm sure you've seen her, when her eyes turn yellow, she can be quite scary. I think Lauren is officially terrified of Aryana."

I groaned once again. "Oh no, darn it, Ary!"

Melena cocked her head to the side, confused. "Does her course of action not please you? Believe me, the words the human said were very inappropriate. I heard them."

I gave a half hearted smile. "I'm honored that Ary was sticking up for me, Melena, but Lauren's going to get worse." I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. As the warning bell began to ring, I convinced myself not think about it.

"Looks like it's time for studies," Melena said, sweetly. "Try not to worry about the Lauren situation and I will see you at lunch."

As I arrived in English, Skye smiled jubilantly and embraced me. "Good morning Bella," she said, enthusiastic and expectant. _"_How did you sleep?"

"Not too bad," I lied, but who wanted to hear about my bizarre nightmare?

I glanced over at Eric who bent over and kissed me on the cheek. My face immediately heated up and flushed violently. "Nice to see you too, Eric," I stuttered while trying to maintain my composure.

"Okay everyone," Mr. Marks announced as he entered the classroom. "I hope everyone has read the assigned reading. Today we are going to discuss what the author is intending to convey."

I groaned. Another lecture and discussion on love, this was going to be miserable. I had read the assigned chapters, but was not planning on participating. I tried to hide my face, but noticed a slip of paper on my desk. I opened it and puzzled over the elegant script.

_**Are you bored, mi Bella?**_

I turned and looked at Eric, confused. He smiled and made a writing motion, then pointed at the paper. _I might as well humor him._

_No, I'm just really tired. I didn't get much sleep last night._

_**I assumed as much. You seem to be carrying a full set of luggage under your eyes.**_

_You have no idea._

_**Well, I am a great listener, if you would like to talk about it. However, I don't think we'll get much time with the rest of the family around. They all want to converse with you. How does a little adventure sound to you?**_

_You'll have to be a little bit more specific._

_**Well, everyone deserves a holiday, my dear. Why not come for a drive with me? I was planning on returning home for a few hours, care to join me?**_

I weighed my options: if I stayed then I would more than likely have to face Jessica again, but being around Eric might force more memories of Ed—.

I folded up the note and put it in my book. _Why not do something unexpected for once, Bella? _I nodded to Eric and his grin widened.

When the bell rang, my heart was pounding so loud that I could hear it in my ears. My face was flushed and I was on the verge of sweating. I was nervous. I remembered the first time I had been alone with Edward, the meadow. He had been terrified that he would hurt me and angry that I had not told Charlie where I was going.

Exiting the classroom, Eric turned to me with a curious grin. "Are you ready?" he asked nonchalantly. I couldn't tell what emotion was hiding behind his eyes. Was it confusion or fear? Whatever it was, it vanished as I smiled at him.

"Let's do this," I said and nodded. "Should you tell the others?"

He shook his head while relieving me of my backpack. "They already know. I had made the suggestion on the way to school." He quickly started laughing. "Of course, Aryana said if I hurt you, she's going to rip me apart and hide my appendages on every continent." Although he chuckled at Ary's warning, I tensed up. Why would she threaten him like that? Was he really dangerous?

As the worry rushed through me, Eric guided me to the parking lot and pulled out a silver keychain. He clicked a small button and the car next to Ary's black Audi unlocked. I shook my head. _I should have known it would_ _belong to one of them._

"Nice car," I muttered as he opened the door for me.

He shrugged. "It gets me from place to place."

One thing I noticed about Erickson McRae was that he was a safe driver. Unlike his sister, he obeyed all traffic signs, speed limits, and stop lights. I relaxed into the smooth seats as the soothing sounds of Mozart filled the car. I quickly asked for the music to be switched off.

"A penny for your thoughts, _mi Bella," _he said, without taking his eyes off the road.

"I was just thinking about how different you and Ary drive." I looked at his pale skin and marveled at its perfection.

"Yes," he said, laughing. "Ary loves driving and running fast while I like to take my time." His voice was alluringly seductive. We continued talking about school and the past; he told me stories about the places that they had traveled to and the exquisite sites they had seen. Finally we stopped and I looked around. We were parked in front of his home.

"So, what were you planning on doing?" I asked curiously while my eyes poured over the McRaes' home.

It was the first time I had seen it in the daylight, so I was busy examining every detail. In the trees around the house, I noticed large indentations in the foliage. It looked like something big had bent the trees back.

"Well." Eric's soothing silken tone drew my attention back quickly. "I was thinking of going for a nice hike in the woods." He leaned his head forward and his eyes smoldered as he stared at me. "Would you like to join me?"

Without really thinking, I nodded. "Wonderful! Follow me."

Eric swiftly opened the door for me and, as soon as I was ready, we were headed towards the wilderness that surrounded their home. As we entered the foliage I turned and stared at the giant hole made from something pushing the trees out of the way. I gawked at the immense size of the opening—seven or eight feet high and four feet wide.

We moved at a slow pace, due to my lack of sleep, talking about school and the novel we had to read. It turned out that Eric shared my disdain for all things romance.

"It's silly really," he sighed and helped me over a fallen tree trunk. "There are so many other pieces of literature we could cover that are more rewarding than two people finding each other."

I nodded rapidly. "I understand studying one, but what's the use of studying more? What about the other genres?" I gritted my teeth as I fell in line next to Eric. "What's the point?"

"Are you all right?" Eric asked with a rise in his voice. I turned to him and noticed his eyebrows were raised higher.

"I just don't understand," I said and sighed heavily. He chuckled softly but quickly fell silent. I felt uncomfortable and awkward as I moved next to Eric. Finally, the lack of sleep caught up with me, forcing me to sit down.

Eric stopped while I lowered myself to the forest floor. "So, Eric," I said, trying to fill the silence, "tell me about you."

In a fluid motion, Eric settled next to me on the ground. "Well, what would you like to know? I'm an open book."

"Well, how old are you?" I asked.

"I'm about to celebrate my 122nd birthday on Halloween," he said with a dazzling smile. "I think we're going to have a party to which, of course, you

are invited."

I smiled and wondered what a birthday party with vampires would be like. I instantly locked up as the memory of my disastrous birthday celebration came to mind. I gripped my stomach and attempted to continue the conversation. "Can you tell me about your human life?" I asked while trying to mask my pain.

He nodded his head. "All right," he said happily. "My story begins in 1885, the year of my birth. My full name is Erickson Austin Wolfgang Chapman. I was born to an extremely wealthy family in New York City." He leaned against a fallen tree truck behind us, and continued. "My father was not what you would call a proper man. Excess was his chosen lifestyle, and it was his wish that I live the same way," he sneered softly.

"Well, did you?" I asked curiously while staring at him anxiously.

Eric chuckled hard. "I didn't get a chance, _mi Bella. _I was changed shortly after I turned twenty, thank god. You see, I was in charge of my family's business, which I had grown tired of. It was actually a dream come true."

My brow furrowed as he spoke of becoming a vampire and all the adventures he'd had. Edward and the others had pain associated with changing, yet Erickson McRae found it to be liberating. "So, you don't regret becoming a vampire?"

"Of course not," Eric said with surprise. "Not only are my family and I blessed with financial gain—thanks to me, by the way—but we travel to the most exotic destinations in the world. I can travel and not worry about food or where to sleep."

I narrowed my eyes. "What do you mean 'financial gain'?"

He leaned forward, eyes gleaming with excitement. "My job at my human family's business was not only to oversee the company, but to manage the finances. It's the same with the McRaes. You see Bella, each part of our family had a bit of money stashed away. It was merely a bit of simply accounting to change the thousands we had to, well, ah … much more."

My eyes widened as he explained the intricacies of the McRaes financial situation. Like the Cullens, the McRaes were millionaires with many hidden sources of money. Eric explained that, since they move around a lot, they needed many different locations for their money.

I sighed and opened my mouth, ready to inquire once again about their knowledge of the Cullens, when something unexpected happened. The light, shrouded up until now, broke through and splashed across Eric's glorious face. His skin immediately erupted in a beautiful iridescence, even his liquid topaz eyes glistened.

My breath caught in my throat, as images of Edward in the meadow came flooding back to me—and so did the pain. I sucked in a deep breath, the pain tearing at my insides like liquid fire. A small cry exited my lips as the pain engulfed me. Despite the burning within, there was a sense of cold flooded my skin. I opened my eyes to see Eric's arms tightly encircling me. Blood rushed to my face as the embarrassment swallowed me. _Oh my_ _god, why? Why can't I control myself?_

"It's all right, Bella." Eric's soothing voice seemed to calm the ache. The pain began to retreat to the familiar numb sensation.

I began to tremble heavily. "Oh my god. I'm so sorry, Eric." I tried to stand but my head was spinning causing me to fall. I was caught before I hit the earth, Eric's strong arms holding me.

I heard him chuckle a little. "Not so fast, Bella. Maybe you should sit down for a bit. I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"I'm fine," I grumbled.

"I may not be a doctor," he said, seriously, "but I definitely think you should listen to me." I continued to struggle against him, trying to get to my feet. "Bella, please don't make me restrain you." I was hardly listening, it all sounded like idle threats anyway. "All right, you asked for it."

A half second was all it took Eric to pull me to his chest, in a vice-like grip, and tighten his hold. I immediately gave in, knowing my odds in struggling with a vampire. I took a deep breath, which was a mistake. With that inhalation, I breathed in the heavenly aroma that accompanied Eric's presence. The intoxicating scent overwhelmed my senses and forced my head to spin even more.

"Eric." My voice sounded foreign to me. "Could you, at least, hold your breath? You're making my head spin."

"Oh." I heard him laugh. "Sorry, Bella, I forget that I can overwhelm you."

"In more ways than you know." Did I just say that out loud? Oh God!

A deep rumbling of his chest told me he did. "Oh, really? In what other ways, Bella?"

I shook my head. "I'm not saying anything to someone who's holding me hostage." Wow, I must be on something. I would normally not say these things.

Eric chuckled again but softly released his hold. When I blinked, he was standing above me, offering me a hand. I smiled and let him lift me off the ground, before moving to stand behind me. Eric very softly nestled his chin between my shoulder and my neck, making a noise that sounded like purring, and whispered in my ear. "Now, are you going to tell me?" His voice sent a shiver through me, causing goose bumps to rise on my arms.

"I don't think it will help anything," I murmured sadly and moved away from him. Even if Eric did have feelings for me, which I highly doubted, I was in no shape to return them; I was broken. I turned around and found that he was smiling curiously.

"I think it might," he said softly and continued to stare at me, his liquid topaz eyes boring into me. "Give it a try, Bella."

I shook my head. "I don't think I can, Eric."

With a sigh, Eric shrugged his shoulders and moved closer to me, his every step making my heart beat faster. "Would it help if I went first?" I shrugged. "It's no secret that I desire your company," he said as he stopped a few feet from me. His eyes stared hungrily into mine with a burning intensity. "I hope you don't mind me using the usual cliché, but I've never felt like this before—with a human, anyway." He narrowed his eyes, took another step towards me, and looked at his feet. "Of course, if you don't feel the same way, then I'll understand."

My breath caught in my throat again, forcing me to cough a little. Eric's expression was almost enough to make me faint. I had never been stared at like that before. Even Edward, who desired my company and my blood, had never looked at me in such a manner. Eric's gaze was filled with need, lust, and curiosity. "Eric, I—"

"Yes?" he said with an alluring tone.

_Breathe Bella…just breathe! _I started inhaling deeply, so I wouldn't faint and attempted to speak. "I'm not the prime candidate for company, right now."

"And why is that?" he asked and cocked his head to the side.

"W-Well," I stuttered a bit, "I'm broken, Eric. I'm damaged goods."

"Hmm," he said as he appeared to think it over. Before I could continue though, he moved forward and seized my chin with two fingers. He slowly leaned towards me, the smell of his breath intoxicating my senses. "Then let me fix you."

Before I could protest, Eric's lips crushed into mine, filling my mouth with his sweet taste. My breathing sped up and without thinking, I reached up and intertwined my hands in his hair. I pulled him towards me hungrily, not sure what had possessed me to do such a thing, but not caring enough to stop. The pain returned with full force, making me groan in agony, but still not letting go of him. I closed my eyes and before I knew it, I was falling backwards.

"Bella!" Eric's cry awoke me from my stupor. I had fainted…again. The red flush returned to my face, as I hid my head in my hands. The pain, still present, forced me to double over and I cried out while the tears poured from my eyes. Eric's arms wrapped on either side of me, which increased my embarrassment, and held me close. "It's all right, Bella," he murmured softly.

"I'm so sorry Eric," I sobbed as the pain surged through my insides. "TThis is w-what I m-meant by b-broken."

Once again, Eric placed his chin between my shoulder and my neck, breathing softly. "It's nothing I can't handle," he whispered softly in my ear.

He took a deep breath and an elegant sound came from his lips, he was singing, not humming like Edward had, but actually singing words. The lyrics were Italian, and beautifully sung. _"Mi mancherai, se te ne vai."_

I sighed as I listened to the beautiful words, wincing slightly as the painful memories resurfaced. I remembered when Edward would hum my lullaby, helping me to sleep. I could recall every night he spent, laying next to me in the dark, keeping me safe. _"Ora per sempre non so come vivere." _Eric softly stroked my hair, his cold hand sending a chill through me.

The song went on, filling me with warmth and soothing the ache within me. When he finally stopped, I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. Eric, having moved from behind me, now stood a few feet from me, his hand extended to me. I smiled and lifted myself up and joined him.

"So," he said as he stared into my eyes with adoration. "Are you going to faint every time I kiss you?"

I laughed softly. "I hope not," I muttered before raising my eyes to him. "Are you going to kiss me much?"

"I hope so," he said and the hungry look in his eyes returned. Though my heart still belonged to another, it pounded at the sight of Eric's gaze and I wondered, could I truly love any one else again? Before I could think anymore, Eric turned his eyes down to his watch and sighed. "Well, it's time to meet up with the others." In a quick motion, he lifted me into his arms and was moving through the forest—at vampire speed.

_Why does everyone like to pick me up? _I grumbled internally as Eric approached the house. As we slowed down, I spied Ary's black Audi and the BMW SUV parked next to Eric's sparkling car. A rumble ran through Eric's chest, causing me to look up at him. His face was hard and his eyes were narrowed, as he stared straight ahead.

We stopped a few yards from the house, right at the start of the trees. Eric lowered me to the ground and took hold of my hand before stalking towards the house. We had just reached the cars when I spied Ary sitting on the porch, a menacing glare on her face. Eric came to a stop and maneuvered himself in front of me. "Hello, Aryana," Eric said politely and bowed at the waist.

"I'm impressed, Eric," Ary sneered as she appraised my appearance. "She's not crying."

A vicious snarl ripped through him and he released my hand, crouching low in front of me. "Aryana…don't," Eric growled.

Ary sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Bella, you should get home. I have to discuss a few things with my brother." My brow furrowed as I looked at Ary and then Eric, who was still crouched defensively. "Eric will take you home. I'll see you tomorrow," she said and smiled at me.

The drive home was eerily quiet and tense. Every now and then, I'd casually glance at Eric—he looked very angry. I sighed and faced forward, quickly becoming shocked at our surroundings. I calmed down as we turned into the school parking lot. _That's right, I left my truck here._ Eric opened the door for me, still looking angry, and pulled my backpack out of the backseat. "Bella, I—."

"I'm sorry, Eric," I blurted out the apology in a rush, not thinking. He was in trouble for something and it had to be my fault. I wasn't sure how or why, but I knew it was.

Eric's eyes widened. "What are you apologizing for?" I opened my mouth but he quickly spoke again. "This has nothing to do with you. It had to do with my sister being the ultimate buzz kill!" He growled angrily and tightened his hands into fists. I watched him curiously, not sure what he meant. Before I could try to speak again, he sighed and smiled at me. "I'll see you tomorrow, _mi Bella._" He leaned forward and kissed me softly on the lips, forcing my head to spin again, and pulled away.

My heart and breathing continued to accelerate as I watched Eric drive off. I sighed and closed my eyes, dwelling on thoughts of Erickson McRae and nothing else.

**Author's Note: 2/8/14 It's interesting going back and re-reading this. It allows me to see how my writing and storytelling ability has grown since first writing this. **


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: ****Diversions**

Eric and Ary's small confrontation was still burning in my mind by the time I reached school the next day. I was worried that something I'd done had provoked a fight in the McRae household. Thinking and replaying the previous afternoon again and again, I tried to find something that I could have done, but nothing came to mind. I sighed and pushed the subject out of my mind, as I turned into the half full high school parking lot.

I turned off the engine and stared out into the wet weather, looking for the McRaes. I narrowed my eyes and spotted them, standing next to their cars, conversing. Smiling, I climbed out of my truck and made my way over to them. Eric looked up and beamed at me as I approached. He appeared instantly at my side, moving a little too fast for a human, and took hold of my hand.

"Good morning, Bella," he said pleasantly and looked into my eyes with that familiar hunger.

My hand lay limp in his hand; I hadn't quite decided what I was going to do about Eric. He was very attractive and I did feel a certain spark, but I was still broken. In my heart, I felt that I still belonged to Edward. Despite certain trepidations, I gripped Eric's hand a little tighter and followed him back to the group, who stared at our intertwined hands with obvious disapproval.

I greeted everyone, taking notice that Ary was sitting on top of her own car, smiling. "Good morning, Ary," I said.

"Morning Bella," she replied with her normal even tone. She hopped down, brushed off the raindrops clinging to her clothing, and motioned to me. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Okay," I said and nodded, following her towards the school. _All right, here we go. _I knew that Ary was not comfortable with me spending timewith Eric; she was no doubt going to talk to me about him. After a fewminutes, we stopped outside the cafeteria, on the far side of the school.

"Bella," she said slowly, without looking at me. "We're friends right?" Her question sounded like an actual question, rather than a confirmation.

"Yes, of course, Ary," I said and narrowed my eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I'm concerned," she said hesitantly and leaned against a wall. "I'm concerned about you and my brother, Bella." I nodded as she confirmed my suspicion. "When were you planning on telling me?"

I shrugged. "I haven't decided anything, really. Eric confessed his feelings but I told him I'm not the best person to, well, you know…" I trailed off with an awkward half smile.

Ary half smiled and nodded, understanding what I meant; she knew all about my shattered heart and the vampire responsible for it. With a satisfied sigh, we turned and began to walk back to the parking lot.

"So, what did you two do yesterday?" Ary asked me idly.

"Nothing much." I shrugged and smiled weakly at a familiar face that passed me. "We just went hiking and talked; he told me about his past."

"Oh, he did?" She turned her head to me, eyebrows raised, looking like she didn't believe me. "And what did he tell you?" Her voice was growing agitated and I was seriously pondering whether I should tell her or not.

The last thing I needed to see was another fight between them. However as the parking lot came into view, we spied the rest of the McRaes, who were being entertained by Eric, and dropped the subject.

As we rejoined the family, the conversation quickly changed to Eric's upcoming party. I found this to be a little odd, the Cullens has never celebrated birthdays among themselves. A 100th birthday might be understandable, but 122nd? It didn't seem like a very special number. Deciding to think about it later, I moved next to Eric, who wrapped his arm around my waist, causing the hole inside my stomach to burn—but, not in a bad way.

"So, Eric," Dante asked and leaned against the green SUV, "have you decided what we're going to do for your birthday?" The question caught everyone's attention, causing them to move in. Eric appeared to be deep in thought, wearing a secretive smile.

"Well," he said a second later, "we should have it outdoors, that's most certain, I'm sick of remaining inside for things like this." The others agreed, mentioning their own birthday gatherings and how they were forced to celebrate out of the public eye. "One thing, though,"

Eric continued, "I want Avarice to play his pipes." The group agreed enthusiastically while I stared curiously.

"Pipes?" I asked Ary.

She nodded jubilantly. "Avarice is from Ireland, Bella; he has bagpipes." She beamed at me, with excitement, and smiled, her perfect teeth almost sparkling in the light.

I cringed a little. _Bagpipes? _My experience with the Celtic instrument was not a happy one. My mother had dated a man who was in love with that instrument and tried to learn how to play; too bad he was tone deaf. I grimaced at the memories of his countless rehearsal sessions in our home. The sound reminded me of dying cats. "Can he play them well?" I asked Ary.

Ary laughed at me, like I said something absurd. "Of course he can, Bella."

Eric threw his arm around my waist, causing a knot to form in my stomach. I looked up at him apprehensively and attempted to smile. Eric cocked his head to the side, obviously confused by the look in my eyes. "Is everything all right, Bella?" he asked while his eyes poured over my face.

I was just about to answer when the bell rang, calling all the students toward the school. Eric and Skye maneuvered me through the mass—I caught curious glances from my other friends—and before I knew it, I was in front of my seat. Mr. Marks was running late, so the students were entertaining themselves with paper airplanes and pencil spears. I hoped against all odds that the teacher wouldn't show. At least I could get out of reading more about love. Unfortunately ten minutes later, Mr. Marks pushed through the door, his face red and frustrated, muttering something about a flat tire. I groaned and went to put my head on the desk, but a piece of paper stopped me. I opened it and immediately recognized Eric's

penmanship.

_**So, are you going to tell me what's wrong? Or do I have to guess?**_

I sighed before picking up my pencil. _You don't want to know._

_**And why would you assume what I do and do not want to know?**_

He definitely had a point. _Fair enough, I'm just not really comfortable talking about it. _I was about to hand the note back to him, but quicklyjotted something else down. _So, what was with you and Ary yesterday? _Ihanded the note back and could see him cringe softly.

_**Of course, you would have noticed that. Well, Ary doesn't necessarily approve of my attraction to you.**_

_Why is that exactly?_

_**You don't want to know.**_

_Now who's assuming?_

He raised his eyebrows softly before handing the note back. _**Touché, mi Bella, but that's another story for another time.**_

Our note interview concluded, as did any further communication in class. Unfortunately, my mind was thrust back into the realm of love with Mr. Marks. I heaved a sigh as the instructor assigned the next bit of homework. My mouth hung open when Mr. Marks asked for yet another essay about love. This time, he wanted to compare the books' meaning to something in our own life. _Mr. Marks is trying to kill me. _The pit of my stomach sank lower and the dull ache surged forward in an intense scalding pain. I bit my lip, gripped my midsection, and held my breath, hoping that it would stop.

By the time the bell rang, the pain had dulled and I was able to straighten out. I sighed, collected my books, and headed out of class. As I moved through the crowd, an ice-cold hand found mine and pulled me through the rush of students. I closed my eyes, not wanting to think about who had my hand, it would probably make me blush. Taking deep breaths, I pushed down the rising memories of Edward's touch; it wasn't easy.

My next few classes ran together, due largely to my focus on the rising pain within me. By the time I looked up at the clock, I realized that it was almost time for lunch. I also realized that Jessica had been staring at me throughout the entire class. Her face looked like a mixture between fear and curiosity. I smiled at the thought of Melena sticking up for me and shaming Jessica in front of everyone at school.

As the bell rang, I noticed Jess trying to catch my eye; she no doubt wanted me to join her for lunch. I picked up my books and hurried out of the room, desperate to avoid a confrontation. As I moved out of the class,

I found Melena beaming at me from across the hall.

"Hello Bella," she said pleasantly and embraced me softly. I noticed her eyes narrow softly and could only assume Jessica was right behind me. "Let's go to lunch."

Without protesting, I moved with her and the crowd, feeling the hunger inside me. Ary and the others were already sitting at their normal table, a huge tray full of food between them.

"Who is that for?" I asked while we approached, pointing at the massive amount of food. As far as I knew, Ary ate raw meat and vampires, well, drank blood.

"That's for you," Melena said happily.

I took a seat next to Ary, who grinned, and stared at the vast quantity of food. There were three sandwiches, a soda, bottled water, juice, pizza, a wrapped hamburger, a fruit cup, a granola bar, and a packaged salad. Staring wide eyed at the pile, I heard a snicker, and looked up to see Ary staring at me.

"You don't have to eat all of it, Bella," she whispered to me. "Eric could tell that you were hungry, so he went hunting."

"Hunting?" I asked incredulously, while shaking my head. "This isn't hunting, this is a massacre." The McRaes chuckled and I reached for the soda and wrapped hamburger. I shifted uncomfortably, as I opened the wrapper, I always felt odd eating in front of those who didn't eat. However, my hunger got the better of me and I was soon stuffing my face.

Dante and Ira were late joining us and were a bit flustered when they arrived. Both of them appeared through the twin doors, glancing around nervously, and rushed—a little too quickly for 'humans'—to the table.

Dante leaned in quickly and whispered to Ary, who became wide eyed.

"Bella," Ary leaned towards me, concerned. "Do you know what we're doing in Anatomy today?" Her brow was heavily indented and her mouth was turned down.

"No, should I?" I narrowed my eyes curiously.

She sighed before speaking. "We're doing DNA comparison."

I groaned loudly and rubbed my stomach, feeling the nausea begin. I had heard about this, when I signed up for the class, and had planned to be absent. DNA comparison was when the students tested their own DNA against cow DNA. It really didn't have anything to do with Anatomy but the students loved it. "Oh great."

Ary narrowed her eyes and smiled mischievously at me. Just what was she thinking of?

After lunch, Ary and I walked to class in silence. I was beginning to get nervous about Anatomy; blood always made me faint. I hoped Mr. Banner would—given my incident with blood typing—just send me to the nurse.

As we took our seats, it became obvious that the whole class was excited. Mike and Eric were mooing loudly, hovering over people's desks, and all the females wore disgusted grimaces.

"Bella." I turned to Ary as she spoke. "Do you trust me?" Her face was serious and her blue eyes smoldered.

I cocked my head to the side. "What?" I shook my head, dazed by her stare.

"I said," she clarified, "do you trust me?"

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at her. "Um, y-yes? I mean, in theory, I guess."

"Good, I'll take it." She smiled and leaned closer to me. "Now, listen carefully, when Mr. Banner comes into the room, I want you to do exactly carefully, when Mr. Banner comes into the room, I want you to do exactly as I say. Do you understand?"

I nodded, my eyes widening, warily. "Ary, is there something you want to tell me?"

A strange smile overtook her face. "Not just yet." She turned but still spoke. "Remember, do exactly as I say!"

I didn't have much time to argue; Mr. Banner arrived, pushing a gigantic metal cart into the classroom. My eyes poured over the translucent cover on the handcart he pushed; it was stained with red. I groaned as my stomach began to turn. It was only a matter of time now.

"Bella," Ary hissed to me, through her teeth. She was still holding her breath. "Faint."

"What?" Did I hear her correctly?

"Faint!" Her voice was more insistent as she leaned toward me.

"Ary, I can't just faint on command," I whispered as I glared at her fiercely.

"Oh, for the love of God," she grumbled.

In a quick motion, Ary leaned forward and exhaled heavily, breathing directly in my face. The smell was so sweet, rivaling any scent of the Cullens, and made my head spin. I tried to place each aroma but consciousness was leaving me. My vision doubled and blurred before I fell to the floor. I didn't feel the impact and I could barely hear the sudden shouting. The one sound I could hear was Ary's soft chuckling.

"Oh my lord!" Mr. Banner's voice was muffled to my ears. "Is she all right?"

"I don't think so," Ary said. I could easily make out her voice, since she was right next to me. "I should take her to the nurse." I could vaguely make out some mumbling, coming from across the room. The source seemed to agitate Ary. "No, that's quite all right, I can manage." The muttering became incessant. Was someone berating Ary? "I'm sure that's the last thing Bella would want." The muffled murmuring continued until it was cut off by a low threat. "Back off."

My head started to clear and I could see much better now. I was aware ofbeing carried, but not by whom. I blinked once as Ary's face came into view. "Ary?"

"Welcome back, sleeping beauty." She smiled and laughed a little. "I was wondering if I needed to take you home."

I narrowed my eyes at her smug grin. "Ary, don't ever do that again." I looked around, expecting to see the school hallway, and was shocked to see the trees around us. "And just where are we? What's going on? Are you insane? Why did you make me faint?"

Ary stopped moving and raised her eyebrows. "Well, which question do you want me to answer first?" Lowering me to the ground, her eyes pulled together as she laughed. "I'm really sorry, Bella. I can't be around animal blood; it wouldn't end well."

I sighed angrily, as Ary set me on my feet. The memory of Edward, skipping the blood typing lab, came to mind and I understood what she meant. "It's all right, I guess. I understand. Well, now what do we do?"

Glancing around, Ary smiled. "Well, I could take you home or we could just spend time in the woods."

I groaned as I considered her options. At home I would simply meander around, trying to pass the time, but in the woods, I would remember too much. "Is there anywhere else we can go?"

Ary sighed, narrowing her eyes at me, before speaking. "Well, if you can hold on, we can spend some time at my house."

Ary's house, which sounded intriguing, was a much better suggestion. "If it's all right with you, I'd prefer that." Ary nodded and smiled. "Wait, what did you mean, if I can hold on?"

My last sentence was hardly spoken before Ary threw me over her shoulder. _This feels too familiar. _In half a second the forest was rushing by me, the wind tossing my hair. A familiar sensation—nausea—washed over me as I was jostled. I attempted to make my breath shallow, but it was difficult; I was terrified. I shut my eyes and hid my face in Ary's thick hair, waiting for the trip to be over.

Five minutes later the wind stopped howling and the moving sensation stopped. However, my stomach continued to turn. I let a groan escape my mouth as my head spun continuously.

"Bella?" I could barely register Ary's words. "You're not going to vomit on me, are you?"

I took a deep breath—I didn't want to throw up. "No, I just need to sit down." I was instantly on the ground, attempting to breathe deeply. Finally the spinning died down and I was able to stand on two feet. I looked up to see Ary smiling at me. "What's so funny?"

"Do you need to ask?" She opened her smile and started laughing. "I've never met a human like you before, Bella."

"Is that a good thing?" I rolled my eyes and walked away from her. She easily caught up to me.

"Of course," she smiled and escorted me to the house. We were half way to the door, when a loud cracking noise caught my attention, forcing me to look around for its source.

"What's that noise?" I said loudly while whipping my head around wildly.

The noise cut through the air again, forcing the hair on my neck to stand up. There was something strange about the sound: a splintering noise mixed with, what sounded like, grunts and groans.

Turning back to Ary, I gawked when I realized she was laughing. "Why are you laughing, Ary?"

She shook her head. "Bella, calm down," she said as the sound continued to draw my attention away. "If I show you what's making the noise, will you settle down?" She sighed heavily and moved beside me, as I nodded eagerly. "Very well, you may want to close your eyes."

I didn't care to ask this time; I simply shut my eyes willingly. The air around me picked up and I felt weightless, like I was flying. There was also a strange propelling sensation, as if I was jumping high in the air.

When Ary murmured for me to open my eyes, I gazed around in shock, we were now perched atop one of the higher decks on the house.

"Ary," I stammered while looking at the scenery around me. "Wow, you can jump high."

"Are you coming or not?" Ary asked over her shoulder and moved towards the other side of the balcony. She leaned forward and placed her hands on the edge, looking at something below. I sighed and followed her. What I saw made my eyes widen in shock.

Avarice and Argos were about thirty feet below, and it looked like they were fighting. They were moving quickly, darting from one side of the yard to the other, growling and snarling. Every now and then, Avarice would rush toward Argos, attempting to punch or kick him, and Argos would simply block and throw Avarice back.

"What's going on?" I asked when I regained my speech.

"Avarice thinks that Argos shouldn't rely on his strength so much," Ary muttered without looking at me. "It's not very efficient."

"Why would he need that?" I asked as Argos tossed Avarice into a nearby tree. He heaved his brother as if he weighed nothing at all.

"Because if we…" she trailed off and looked at me softly. "Never mind, it's not important." She sighed and moved away from edge, brow heavily furrowed.

I shook my head and turned to face her. "Ary, I have a question."

She didn't turn but I heard her chuckle. "Why does that not surprise me?"

I inhaled sharply and narrowed my eyes. "Forget it."

"No, no," Ary said as she turned to face me. She smiled apologetically and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Bella; I didn't mean to offend you. Please, ask me anything."

"All right," I shrugged and moved forward. "Why does it always seem like you're keeping things from me?" It was true. There were certain things that Ary said and did that told me she was hiding secrets. Just what were they?

Ary's smile grew wider. "Oh Bella." She sighed and placed her hands on my shoulders. "Of course, I'm keeping things from you," she said simply and turned away from me, moving back to the edge of the balcony.

"What?" I half shouted exasperatedly. "Ary, I thought you trusted me."

"Oh, don't be over dramatic, Bella," Ary replied, over her shoulder, between clenched teeth. "Trust has nothing to do with this. Now please, drop it."

I opened my mouth to protest but quickly shut it; some part of me knew I wouldn't get anywhere. Sighing loudly, I moved beside Ary and glanced at Avarice and Argos, down below. The two were no longer locked in combat. They were standing, talking idly and laughing. Argos' shirt had been torn in the skirmish and was revealing his well chiseled abs beneath the fabric. Argos tossed his hair back and ran his hand through beneath the fabric. Argos tossed his hair back and ran his hand through the dark golden mane, before disappearing into the woods.

Ary chuckled beside me. "Careful Bella, I think you're about to start drooling."

My eyes widened and I pulled my arm across my mouth, relieved that I wasn't drooling, and turned away from Ary, and the sight of half naked Argos. I took a deep breath—trying in vain to keep my face from flushing—before facing her again. Ary was smiling smugly and stifling a laugh.

"Don't be embarrassed, Bella," she said as laughter spilled from her mouth. "You're only human." I sighed and rolled my eyes at the expression before returning by her side. "Besides," she continued, "I'm glad you acted normal about it, not like that Lauren Mallory."

I tensed at the mention of the person who loathed my existence. "I forgot to thank you for that, by the way," I said with brimming sarcasm. "Why did you do it anyway?"

Ary shrugged and smiled innocently. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't," I muttered snidely. I peered over the side and Argos had put his shirt back on; thank goodness. However, seeing Argos made me curious. Just how did he join the McRaes? In fact, I didn't know how Ary had joined up with the McRaes. "Ary, how did you meet Avarice and Lazarus?"

My question caught her by surprise, causing her eyebrows to arch and her head to pull back. She laughed and narrowed her eyes skeptically.

"What brought that on?" she asked softly.

"Well, I was just thinking," I said slowly gauging her reactions; I didn't want to go too far and upset her. "I don't know how you met Argos and I realized that I didn't know how you met them either." She inhaled slowly and rubbed her temples. "Is something wrong?"

"Bella," she said without moving her hands from her face. "I don't reallylike telling that story, it's kind of…depressing."

I chuckled a little. _Does she think I don't know about depressing? _This was the wrong thing to do.

Ary's nostrils flared and she was instantly on her feet, moving towards me slowly. Her back was arched and it appeared that she grew a few inches.

"Does my pain humor you?" She growled at me and her eyes flashed bright yellow.

Alarm ran through me as my stomach began to quiver with fright. Instinctively, I threw my hands up and shook my head. "Ary, I would never laugh at your pain, you know that. I was merely finding the fact that you think I can't handle depressing subjects humorous." Ary's eyes continued to glisten in the light.

A deep growl caught both our attention, forcing us to find its source. Standing atop the roof was Avarice; his eyes were a familiar onyx and his lips were pulled over his teeth. He growled again and a snarl answered; it was Ary, whose shape was beginning to quiver. I moved away, backing towards the end of the balcony, as Avarice and Ary continued to stare at

one another.

"Bella," Avarice spoke sharply. "Please, go inside." He motioned towards the terrace door with a jerk of his head. I nodded while he redirected his attention to the blurring figure of Ary.

Sensing the urgency, I rushed across the wooden deck, not noticing the potted plants strewn around the flat surface, and headed towards the door. I was just about there when I turned back to see what was going on.

Avarice was restraining a snarling Ary, holding her body with one arm and her neck with his free hand. Shock ran through me, forcing me to spin and gawk at what was happening. My clumsy feet smacked into a porcelain pot and slipped on the spilt soil. I cried out, but it was too late. Falling forward had knocked my center of gravity off, and I could only scream as I

toppled over the edge of the third story balcony.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: Repost<em>


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: ****The Compromise**

I was amazed how numb I felt as my body plummeted toward the ground beneath me; a strange calm overtook me. The last time I felt this I was in a hotel room with two vampires—one who could manipulate emotions. The swift memory was cut short and my tranquil state was interrupted by a hard impact. I gasped out of shock and lack of breath; whatever I hit had knocked the wind right out of me. My hearing was muffled but I could vaguely make out distant cries as my consciousness began to fade. Moving my hand around, searching for the object that I fell on, I traced my fingers against something extraordinarily hot. Before I could identify the object, I fell into darkness.

I blinked slowly, wincing at the raging pain in my head, and lifted myself up weakly. The room was dark, save for a sliver of light protruding from an open curtain; after glancing around, I easily identified the room as the McRae's living room. _How did I get here? Did I survive the fall? _I didn't get a chance to form any more questions, as raised voices caught my attention from the adjacent room. I glanced up and spied Ary and Avarice, staring at one another with stern expressions and arguing. I listened closely, curious what they were speaking about.

"Aryana." Avarice's voice was very stern. He moved his hands from his hips and crossed them angrily. "It's hard to be compassionate when you act so careless."

"Please, spare me the dramatics," Ary responded offhandedly and turned away from him.

"These are not dramatics," he hissed and she shifted to look at him again. "Against my opposition, you insisted on bringing Bella into our lives and, despite my adoration for her, she is your responsibility, Aryana!"

"I'm sorry," Ary muttered softly, crossed her arms, and lowered her head remorsefully.

My brow softened at Ary's response. _What is she sorry for? I was the one who fell off the darn balcony! I'm the one whose coordination is so bad it's a disability._

"Don't apologize to me," Avarice interrupted my thoughts and laughed incredulously. "I'm not the one who fell off the third story balcony because you lost your nerve." He sighed, rubbed his temples, and crossed the room to the window. "Maybe it would be better if he were here instead of me. He could take care of this…" Avarice trailed off and I heard a low growl from the opposite side of the room—Ary.

"Don't you growl at me, Aryana McRae; it's not my fault that you two are at odds right now."

"I've got an idea Avarice," Ary seethed. "How about we pretend I already feel terrible and you don't need to rub it in anymore." There was a brief silence and I began to wonder if they were done with their conversation when Ary spoke. "For at least 800 years I have been in control and yet, I find myself getting more and more distracted. It's beyond frustrating."

Avarice sighed, almost too softly for me to catch, and chuckled. "Well, at least Bella is helping you."

Ary scoffed with a doubtful expression. "Helping me? And how is that?"

"I've seen you phase sporadically before," Avarice said evenly. "You would never try to stop the change, but around Bella, you're careful and think hard about your actions—the majority of the time anyway."

Ary groaned loudly. "It won't matter now," she murmured dismally. "You'll see, as soon as she wakes up she'll never want to see any of us anymore." She sighed heavily. "No one can be that forgiving."

_What? For the last time Ary, it's not your fault! _I was about to speak up but I waited to her Avarice's response.

"I think," Avarice said, a look of heavy thought on his face, "you should leave that up to Bella."

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked in a broken whisper. "Do you regret finding me?"

A deep guttural growl seethed from Avarice's lips. "How can you even ask such a question?" He ground his teeth and grasped her shoulders, pulling her in a tight embrace. "You are my sister, Aryana. I will never ever regret anything about you."

"But have you ever wondered why I'm with you all?" Ary's voice was a faint whisper now.

"No, I don't," Avarice answered. "When I'm sent a blessing, I never ask why."

My bottom lip quivered as I listened to the touching interlude between Ary and Avarice. I pushed my arms down, trying to lift myself up even more, but a sharp pain in the back of my skull distracted me and my hand slipped off the couch. A small cry exited my lips, as my body suddenly slid off the couch. I caught myself with my hand, but not before hitting my head on the tip of the coffee table. Holding my head with my hand, I moaned loudly.

"Are you all right?" Ary's voice was frantic behind me.

"I'm fine," I mumbled without looking at her. My face was beginning to grow hot. "I just hit my head on the stupid table." Still rubbing my forehead, I hoisted myself up and leaned against the plush sofa. Ary had moved from behind me, she now stood across the room, by the fireplace. Her eyes burned into me with a haunting expression.

"What are you staring at Ary?" I asked as the pain at the back of my head began to throb.

Ary softly closed her eyes and shook her head. "Nothing," she murmured, almost too softly for me to catch. She uncrossed her arms and took a seat beside me, barely making eye contact with me. "Bella, I'm so sorry." She sighed and hung her head.

"Sorry?" I said incredulously, my exasperation over her conversation with Avarice broke through. "Why are you sorry? I'm the one who fell off the balcony! What do you have to be sorry for?"

I stared at her with a shocked expression. Did Ary really blame herself for what happened? It

was me who was a walking disaster waiting to happen.

"I'm just starting to think," she said hesitantly without looking at me. "Maybe it would be a good idea if I…if you…" Ary trailed off and instinctively I knew what she was hinting at.

"Ary," I said sternly and waited until she looked at me to continue. "Please tell me you are not going to say you shouldn't be around me." I raised my eyebrows and her sheepish expression told me that was her plan. "Don't I have any say in what happens with me?" I asked and threw up my hands.

"It's nothing personal," Ary insisted, leaning forward to try and catch my eye. "I just think you would be better off." She sighed and looked away. "Everyone would be safer."

"Ary, trust me," I said sarcastically, "it's not a good idea. I'm a danger magnet, a catastrophe on two legs."

She grinned and scoffed at my reply. "Well, on another note, how's your head?" She let her hand trace the back of my skull; I winced at she touched a sensitive area. "That was quite a tumble, maybe we should take you to the hospital." She narrowed her eyes slightly.

"No, please," I shook my head, cringing as the pain surged from my head. "No hospitals." I was slightly thankful that my head pain was canceling out the normal dull ache in my chest; however, going to the hospital would certainly open the wounds I was avoiding.

Ary shrugged and leaned back casually, but continued to stare at me cautiously.

"So," I said, trying to change the subject. "I actually survived the fall?" Ary smiled at me and I mirrored, laughing a little at my dumb luck. "I mean, unless we both died."

"Bella," she said slowly and tried to refrain from laughing. "You didn't hit the ground." There was a devious look in her eyes that was both unsettling and humorous.

"What do you mean?" I asked as my brow furrowed in confusion. "I fell off the balcony, didn't I?" I know I did. I felt myself plunge several feet and saw the ground rushing up towards me.

Ary nodded slowly. "Yes, you fell off the balcony, but not for very long." I stared at her and her smile grew wider. "Argos caught you. You fell maybe about ten feet." she said with a ripple of laughter following short after.

I cocked my head to the side. "Argos caught me?" I asked, a warm feeling growing in my stomach. Argos had caught me; he had saved me from death. A feeling of adoration began to well inside me. "Wait, how did I hurt my head?"

"Are you kidding? Have you seen my brother? He's a walking piece of stone," she said in between hysterics. She proceeded to explain that Argos has been laying in the shade beneath the balcony, and when I screamed, he moved directly under me, and caught me; however, my

head had snapped back and slammed against his rock hard chest. "You scared the death out of him when you fainted," Ary finished and held her sides. "He thought you were dead."

My hands covered my face in an instant. "Oh my gosh," I cried and shook my head. My face flushed a bright red.

Seeing my distress, Ary patted me on the shoulder. "Don't worry Bella," she said happily. "Look on the bright side, you're alive." I rolled my eyes but had to agree with her.

Sighing softly, I thought back to the conversation that she had been having with Avarice, before I interrupted. _"For at least 800 years I have_ _been in control." _My eyes widened as I realized just what she meant. _Ary_ _is at least 800 years old, holy crow! _I turned to her, wanting so much to

ask her about what she said, when the front door swept open.

The wind moved through the open threshold and Eric materialized before us, as if the air brought him in. He grinned from ear to ear and crossed his arms.

"So, how's London Bridge?" he asked with mock concern.

Ary and I both rolled our eyes. "It took you long enough!" Ary said incredulously, shook her head and headed toward the open door. As she started out the door, she looked at me and then narrowed her eyes at Eric. "Bella, call me when you're ready to go home," she said and I

nodded as she disappeared outside, leaving me alone with Eric.

"So," he said happily as he took a seat next to me. "What exactly did you say to set her off?" He jerked his head towards the door, indicating Ary.

I shrugged softly. "I was wondering that myself," I said with a laugh. "All I did was ask how she met the McRaes." Chuckling, I shook my head and looked at Eric.

He pursed his lips and nodded feverishly. "Yep, that'll definitely upset her," he said and smiled ruefully at me. "Bella calm down," he said in reaction to my wide horrified eyes. "You couldn't have known; don't feel bad."

I swallowed the pain that was building inside me. I was the cause of another supernatural creature losing their nerve. Was I really more of a danger to them than they were to me? I couldn't help wondering, what danger to them than they were to me? I couldn't help wondering, what was so bad about Ary's past? What happened that would cause her to simply lose her nerve over such a simple question?

"Eric." He leaned in and took my hand and I reveled in the coldness of it. "What happened to

Ary? Why does her past make her so upset?"

Eric's brow indented and he turned away from me. "Bella, Ary has endured the worst of humans," he said and rose off the couch, moving to the fireplace. "You see, for a long time, she was imprisoned in a side show."

"A side show?" I asked and tilted my head curiously. "You mean like a freak show?" There was a loud snarl from outside the door, and Eric threw up his hands.

"Don't say that word," he hissed angrily to me, sending a chill down my spine. "Yes, Bella, that's exactly what it was, and that's how Avarice and Lazarus found her." He sat in the chair next to the sofa and his voice became low and serious. "They had left Ireland and arrived in England,

maybe about 50 years after they had turned. Out of curiosity, they found their way to an advertised side show and saw the main exhibit: the cat girl."

He stopped and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Bella, I can't explain to you what she went through. I can only tell you that it's a forbidden topic among the family." He sighed and turned his head towards the window. I could see frustration and a bit of anger written on his face. It appeared that the subject of Ary's mistreatment was a sore subject for more than just her. "You care about her a lot, don't you?" I asked and scooted closer to him.

He sighed. "You have no idea," he murmured without looking at me. As I stared at his face, trying to comprehend it, I began to wonder how Eric found his way to the McRae family. So far, I could tell that Ary had been in a side show before meeting Avarice and Lazarus, but what about Eric?

"Eric?" I called to him softly.

"Yes?" He replied and still did not look at me.

"Is it safe to ask you how you joined the family?" I asked timidly with raised eyebrows.

He cocked his head and smiled a faraway smile. "I knew you'd ask that sooner or later," he said and sighed heavily. "Yes, it is a safe subject Bella; it's just not one I talk about a great deal."

"You don't have to," I said quickly. "I mean, if you don't want to."

"No." he shook his head and leaned towards me. "I have to." Before I could implore what he meant, he maneuvered next to me, intertwining our hands together. We sat there in silence for a minute before Eric reached into the collar of his shirt, and pulled out a silver chain. Attached to the silver necklace were two shining rings; wedding bands. "Do you know what these are, Bella?" he asked while he twiddled the delicate rings in his fingers.

"They look like wedding rings," I said, admiring the shining objects in the dull light. "Did they belong to your parents?" I asked and looked up at him, he shook his head.

"These," he pushed the rings beneath his shirt and patted them, "belonged to me and my wife."

A deep knot formed in my gut as I stared at him. _Eric has a wife…Eric is married? _I tried to control my reaction but it was difficult. _Is that why they disapproved of his attraction to me, because he's married? That's a really good reason. _"Oh, I didn't know you were married." I tried my best tocontrol the tone of my voice, but it still came off as strained.

Eric laughed. It was an icy, bitter sound. "I was," he said bitterly. "When I was twenty my father wanted me to take over the business. So, to see if I could handle the job, he sent me to Italy to deal with one of merchants. It was there, that I met my wife." He sighed and leaned his head back against the sofa; his face was serene and content as he recalled their meeting. "I knew there was something different about her, she was too beautiful to be human."

"She was a vampire?" I asked, a little more intrigued now.

"Yes," he said softly and turned to me, a strange emptiness filled his eyes. "But she was more than that, more than my maker; she was my best friend and my greatest love." The hole in my chest returned and started to singe my insides, yet I held my composure while he continued to speak.

"She taught me so much about living, I mean really living, not the hollow existence I had had as a human. She showed me the beauty that existed all around me." The pain was pulsating, but I still did not move. "For twenty years, we lived a life of pure bliss and peace, true happiness." His bottom lip quivered as he turned away from me, his body shivering slightly as a sob escaped him. I stared at him in awe; in the time I had known Eric McRae, I had never seen him like this. In that instant, I didn't see the snarky, confident vampire. I saw a heart that, after all this time, had not healed—something I could relate to entirely.

"What happened to her?" I asked softly.

He closed his eyes and sighed. "She was killed," he answered with a soft smile, "on our anniversary." His hands tightened into fists and his jaw flexed.

I shook my head in disbelief. "Killed? By who?" I frowned and felt tears well in my eyes. My broken heart felt so miniscule next to Eric's—Edward had left me, while Eric's wife had been taken from him.

"Do you really want to know?" he asked without opening his eyes.

I nodded. "Yes, I do, Eric."

He sighed and looked at me seriously. "Aryana killed my wife," he said, his golden eyes smoldered in the light and burned right through me.

"What?" I exclaimed loudly. My face contorted to a horrified expression as I took in what he said. _Ary killed Eric's wife? What…no! _"No, that can't be right, Eric. Are you sure it was Ary?" He nodded slowly. "Oh my gosh."

"Bella," Eric said hesitantly and I turned to stare at him, his face was strained and almost pained. "You asked me, how I joined the McRae family, but you didn't ask why."

"Why did you?" I asked, confused by his demeanor.

"I joined the McRae family," he said slowly, "so I could kill Aryana."

The air caught in my and I instantly started choking. Eric moved forward, reaching out to me, and I pulled away from his touch. Had I heard him right? Eric had joined the McRae family with the sole purpose of killing Ary?

"I-I don't understand." I was able to choke out a few other unintelligible mutterings before regaining my breath. "Eric, you really want to kill Ary?" I demanded incredulously, still in shock.

He exhaled and lowered his head sheepishly. "I'm sorry for upsetting you Bella," he said softly. "But to answer your question, I _did_ want to kill her, very much."

"Well," I threw my hands up, "what are you waiting for?" I stood up and immediately knew that was a mistake. The pain in my head had returned and I swayed uneasily as dizziness overtook me. Eric quickly caught me as I fell towards the floor, but I quickly shied away from his touch. "Why would you tell me this?" I asked while shaking my head in disbelief. _I can't_

_believe that Eric wants to kill Ary. Why hasn't he killed her already?_

"You asked," he scoffed sarcastically, but his face softened as he moved closer to me. "Besides, I don't want to keep any secrets from you." Eric's liquid topaz eyes burned with desperation as they bore into me.

"Well," I said, exasperated in disbelief, "does Ary know?"

Eric stared at me, eyes and mouth wide open for a minute, before lurching forward in a fit of hysterics. "Oh, Bella," he choked out, "of course she knows!" He shook his head as if I had said something utterly absurd.

I glowered at him until his laughter died to a soft chuckle. "She does?" I asked, thoroughly surprised. He proceeded to explain the dynamics of this knowledge and the feelings around it. All the while, I couldn't stop thinking about Ary. _She knows Eric wants to kill her? What's wrong with her? Why_ _is he still around?_

"Bella, my sole purpose for joining the family _was _to kill Aryana," he said, emphasizing the word 'was'. Did that mean he no longer wished to? "But after a few years, she found out—they all did. It's not easy to keep secrets in the family, especially with Lazarus," he said sarcastically. "I had been with them for five years when they discovered my plan." He winced slightly and paused, rubbing his hands together.

"What happened?" I asked weakly, still disturbed by the whole conversation.

Eric chuckled and shrugged slightly. "What was expected, of course," he joked. "Lazarus and Avarice drug me out to a field, ready to rip me apart," his smile faded and his voice became serious, "but what was unexpected was Aryana. She refused to let them kill me."

"Really?" I jerked my neck back in surprise, causing a bit of pain.

"Yes, really." He seemed just as shocked as I was. "She took me on a walk and we made a compromise: one day, she will let me take her life, but only when she asks me to." He took another deep breath and lowered his head. "To be honest, as the years go by, I find myself hoping she never asks."

I smiled half heartedly and he reciprocated with a happy grin, revealing some of his perfect teeth. The conversation shifted to what was happening at school. Apparently Lauren and Jessica had both set out to claim Eric as a boyfriend.

"Well good luck with that," I laughed but felt a tiny pang of jealousy. After hearing Eric's history and seeing him so broken, I was starting to see him in a new light. Besides, when I was with him, I didn't hurt as much anymore.

He chuckled and leaned forward, his grin contorting to his wickedly handsome smile. "No luck needed or wanted," he said smoothly in his silken voice. "I belong to you, whether you like it or not."

The butterflies filled my stomach and I laughed nervously, a blush running across my cheeks, warming my face. I was relieved when Ary appeared, telling me we needed to leave, in order to beat Charlie home. Eric was clearly disappointed—pouting his bottom lip and growling softly—but kissed me goodbye, which almost made me pass out again.

I still hadn't made my mind up about Eric. He was very attractive and I felt a strange energy course through my veins when I was with him, a kind of liquid electricity. However, I couldn't look into his eyes without longing for Edward, and that wasn't fair to Eric.

The ride home was very quiet. Ary didn't attempt to say much, aside from asking how I felt and remarking on being saved by her half-naked brother. Other than that, I gazed out the window and took in the scenery, as it whipped by quickly.

My initial shock of the compromise between Ary and Eric had receded, although I was still a little disturbed by it. Despite my repugnance for their arrangement, it was none of my business—their pact was made before my grandparents were even alive. I definitely wanted a chance to talk to Ary about it, but given my last attempted inquisition, I decided to put it off for another day.

The subject of Eric's previous marriage had dissipated from my mind as well. Like the compromise between Ary and Eric, he had happened before I was even born. I also thought of Esme, the Cullens' mother for all intents and purposes. She had been married and even conceived a child before Carlisle found her in the morgue. I guess it was too incredulous for me to expect Eric to have had zero life experiences before meeting me. They couldn't all be Edward.

About ten minutes later, we pulled down my street. I was relieved that my truck was parked in the driveway, and Charlie was nowhere to be seen.

"Eric brought your truck home," Ary said, answering my unspoken question.

I nodded in appreciation and turned to her. "Thanks for today Ary." She stared at me with a look of disbelief. "I mean, for getting me out of school. I didn't realize how much I needed it."

She smiled. "Anytime Bella." She rolled down the window as I shut the door behind me. "See you tomorrow," she called before speeding off down the street.

I was inside the house for five minutes before Charlie walked through the front door. "Bella," he called in a stern voice.

"Yeah, Dad," I responded and greeted him from the kitchen. His serious expression caught me off guard. "What's wrong?"

"I'd like to know," he started and moved forward with his hands on his hips, "why you left school today." His eyebrows were raised and his lips formed a tight line. I couldn't help but wonder how he found out about that.

"Oh," I said, the surprise brimming in my voice. "You know about that?" I frowned sheepishly and dug my hands in my pockets, looking more and more guilty.

He nodded and crossed his arms. "Karen Newton got a call from Mike." _Damn it Mike. _"He said you left class with one of those new kids." He uncrossed his arms and took a seat at the kitchen table, still looking cross. "Would you care to explain, young lady?"

I sighed and sat down across from Charlie. "I guess Mike skipped the part where I passed out," I stated bitterly and crossed my own arms, glaring at my father. I was a bit miffed that he would automatically believe what someone else has said about me.

"You…passed…out?" Charlie stuttered with confusion and his seriousness faltered.

I nodded. "We were doing a comparison lab in Anatomy," I explained hotly. "I saw animal blood and it made me faint. Aryana is my lab partner and she took me to her house." I leaned away from him, still glowering at him. "She didn't think I should be alone," I finished angrily.

We sat in an awkward silence, not really looking at one another, finally Charlie exhaled loudly and muttered something unintelligible, before hosting himself up. I was about to do the same when he turned back to me.

"Well, looks like I'm in this Aryana's debt," he mumbled softly. "Why don't you invite her to dinner tomorrow?"

The air caught in my throat and I almost coughed up a lung. "I-Invite Ary tto dinner?" I said incredulously.

"Sure, why not?" he asked and shrugged curiously.

_Oh because she only eats bloody raw meat! _"Oh…well…I…" I stuttered, not sure how to get out of this.

"Besides," he said with a rare Charlie smile. "I want a chance to meet of these new kids."

I sighed; there was no way around this. Ary was coming over for dinner.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: Repost <em>


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: ****Dinner Conversation**

"You want me to do what?" Ary laughed hysterically when I delivered Charlie's dinner invitation. My face had been bright red and I even stuttered as I invited her over. "You're serious?" she remarked after judging my sheepish face. "Bella, I'd love to but…well, I can't eat human food—not successfully anyway." She smiled ruefully and crossed her arms.

"Just do what we do," Eric interjected with a mischievous grin. "Bring it up later."

Ary stared at him with a silent and blank expression before shaking her head. "Do me a favor," she replied with a monotone voice. "Don't speak and try not to think." She immediately turned back to me. "I'm really sorry Bella. Just tell him I'm busy."

I exhaled heavily as I saw the hole in her logic. Charlie was never one to hob nob with strangers; there was a hidden purpose behind his motive.

"Ary, it's not just a dinner invite," I said and rested my head on my fist. "He's using it as an excuse to meet the 'new family.'" I lifted my hands to mime quotation signs in the air. "I hate to say it," I continued, "but it'd be a lot easier for me, if I didn't have to sneak around." I smiled sheepishly as she pondered what I had said.

Twiddling my fingers anxiously, I hoped she'd find a way to help me appease Charlie. She exhaled heavily and shrugged. "I guess you can expect me at seven," she said despondently and slouched in surrender.

The day sped by—probably because I was secretly dreading the evening—and before I knew it, I was driving home. I stomped on the brakes as I realized that I had no idea what to cook. My mind raced over different possibilities as I made a U-turn and headed to the grocery store. The tiny shop was decorated with black and orange streamers, signifying the approach of Halloween—and Eric's 122nd birthday. I groaned as I remembered that I was invited to the vampire soiree. What should I wear? A costume or a ball gown, what?

Forcing the incessant barrage of questions to the back of my head, I focused on the task at hand. My eyes poured over the frozen dinners and I grimaced. _I want to make this as painless as possible for Ary. _The last thing I wanted was for Ary to go through the pain of regurgitating and entire meal.

I meandered around and found myself in the meat department, staring at a pack of venison steaks. I reached forward and grabbed two packages. _Lots of people order their steaks rare. _I nodded and headed towards the front of the store.

Ten minutes later, I was packing my purchases in the truck, and six minutes later I was unpacking them at home. After a quick call to Charlie—telling him Ary would be at the house by seven—I began prepping the marinade for the meat.

Charlie arrived home at 5:30, commented positively on my choice of meat, and settled down in front of the television. The atmosphere was tense, as I regularly check the clock, anxious for our guest to arrive. Charlie must have been equally nervous. Aside from the fact that he never really entertained guests, other than Billy and some others, he wasn't the most out spoken man. Just like me, Charlie kept to himself. However, after my flight to Phoenix last spring and my unusual behavior after the Cullens left, his habits had slowly begun to shift. His interest in me and my life had heightened, which annoyed me to no end.

Right at seven there was a soft knock at the front door, forcing a flock of butterflies to immerse themselves in my stomach. _Here goes nothing. _I opened the door and met Ary's friendly blue eyes. "Hi, Ary," I smile with an abashed grin.

"Hi, Bella," she said and smiled, her mouth seemed to be struggling against a laugh. Her light attitude relaxed me and I took a deep breath. _Maybe this won't be so bad. _I stared at Ary beaming until she leaned forward.

"Are you going to let me in Bella?" she asked and lifted one eyebrow curiously.

Laughing, I opened the door wider and let her in, my face flushing a little scarlet. When I turned around, Charlie was waiting nervously behind us.

"Oh!" I jumped in surprise but settled down quickly. "Dad, this is Aryana McRae; Ary, this is my father, Charlie Swan," I said formally and took a step back so they could shake hands.

Ary sashayed forward and took Charlie's hand. "Chief Swan, it's so nice to meet you," she said and smiled graciously. "Thank you so much for inviting me to your home." Her voice was sweet and endearing; I'd never heard her speak like this before.

Charlie appeared to be completely taken with Ary—and her dazzling blue eyes. His face was red and he stuttered quite a bit as he shook her hand. "I-It's n-nice to meet you," Charlie said with a delighted smile. "Those sure are some nice eyes—never seen that color blue before."

Ary's smile widened as she thanked him and moved away. I was a little surprised that Charlie didn't comment on Ary's morbid temperature; every time I touched her skin, I was shocked by how hot it was. All three of us moved to the kitchen, where I served the steaks. Ary winked at me when I served her a rare steak, dripping with blood. Charlie raised an eyebrow to Ary's portion but thankfully said nothing. As we ate, Charlie asked about the rest of the McRae family.

"How many are in your family?" he asked curiously.

"There are eight," she said pleasantly and continued chewing on her steak, despite Charlie's shocked expression. Families in Forks normally consisted of a mother, a father, and maybe two kids. The McRaes were definitely an anomaly, just like the Cullens had been.

"Wow," Charlie remarked and stopped eating. "That must be a handful for your parents, having so many kids and all."

I raised my eyebrows curiously at my father. Since when did he become so chatty?

Ary chuckled softly and shook her head. "Unfortunately my parents died three years ago," she said morosely and lowered her eyes to her plate.

"Oh," Charlie said, clearly embarrassed and intrigued at the same time. "I'm so sorry for that." Ary smiled and resumed eating. "So who do you live with then?" I peered warily at Ary, curious what she would say.

"Well," she said, setting down her fork and interlacing her hands on the table. "My older brother Avarice is our legal guardian and his friend from college, Argos helps out," she explained simply. "They're very mature for their age and surprisingly strict." She leaned back and rubbed her stomach. "Wonderful meal; my compliments to the chef," she said and winked at me once again.

Despite the vagueness of her responses to his questions, Charlie just nodded and commented on the largeness of her family before returning to his food. After a few more silent moments Charlie moved to the refrigerator and offered Ary some pie. Ary skillfully declined dessert and

as Charlie disappeared to the den—with the whole pie—we stole outside to talk.

"So, how did I do?" she asked as I shut the door and turned to her. "Did I play the part of teenage school girl well?"

"Perfectly," I laughed and sat on the steps. "Thanks for doing this, I really appreciate it." I smiled as she sat beside me.

"No problem." She gave me her normal lopsided grin. "Thank you, too, for the steak," she said and jumped off the stairs and stood upright. "So, now what do we do?" Ary asked with her hands on her hips.

I shrugged and shook my head. "I'm not sure," I said hesitantly. "What is there to do?" It was almost 8:30, to my knowledge nothing was happening.

"Well," she said thoughtfully. "We could go for a drive…or a run." I shook my head to the latter; I didn't feel like holding on to Ary for dear life tonight. "Then again, you could always ask me more of these questions you come up with," she added smugly.

"I don't know about that," I remarked anxiously. "Let's not forget what happened the last time I did that…well, never mind." I trailed off as Ary's guilty eyes locked on me. I flushed and cursed myself internally. _Really_ _considerate Bella! After you worked so hard to convince her it wasn't her_ _fault!_

Ary surprised me by laughing. "So Eric told me that you were informed of our compromise," she said and narrowed her eyes curiously to me. I sighed and nodded, a little depressed by the resurfacing of the subject in my mind.

"Bella, look at me," she said and I complied, raising my eyes to her slowly. "I don't want you to worry about it," I opened my mouth to protest but she silenced me with a raised hand. "It is between my brother and I, no one else."

I shook my head in disbelief. "But why Ary?"

She turned and stared into the darkness for a minute before speaking. "Because he has a good reason for wanting to kill me," she murmured softly.

_What? _I debated whether I should push her for more information. She seemed almost contented by the idea of Eric's reasoning for wanting her dead. True, it was between her and Eric and no one else, but that didn't stop me from being a bit upset. I didn't want to see my best friend killed, no matter the reason or the person. My mind stuttered as I referred to Ary as my _best _friend, a title reserved for one person only—Alice Cullen—and wondered if I really felt like that. Ary appeared to have taken up the slack that Alice had left behind, minus treating me like a Barbie doll. My mind felt packed with the thoughts of Ary and her compromise, as well as the wonderings about my friendship with Ary. In the end, I felt it better to drop it for now.

"So Eric's birthday is coming up," I said, trying to change the subject with small talk.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Please, don't remind me," she sighed and pursed her lips. "He's insisting on inviting some friends, which is not wise."

"You mean," I swallowed, "other vampires?" She nodded.

"I'm trying to dissuade him," she said and looked at me with sudden interest. "Of course he won't listen to me, but maybe he'd listen to someone he was pining for." Her eyes lit up as they poured over me.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked, not quite getting it. However, I replayed her previous statement and immediately knew what she was hinting at. "No, no way Ary," I insisted anxiously. "I'm not going to pretend to like Eric to—"

"Pretend?" Her eyebrows jerked up as she cut me off. "Bella, you don't need to pretend; it's written all over your face, whenever you see him." My face flushed and I turned away from her.

"I don't know," I muttered. I had only used a boy's affection for me once, and it was overly awkward. I cringed at the memory of flirting with Jacob Black to find out about the 'cold ones.'

"Bella," Ary said seriously and stood in front of me. "If you don't do something, I can't guarantee your safety at the party." I swallowed hard as her face grew even more grave, "or anyone else in Forks."

_Charlie_. My thoughts immediately went to my father and I knew that I had to do something. "All right," I begrudgingly agreed, "I'll talk to him tomorrow."

Ary grimaced slightly. "The sooner the better Bella."

I groaned softly. "All right, fine, let me see your cell phone."


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:**Blood & Bagpipes**

I fidgeted anxiously as I stared out of my truck at the McRaes; they were laughing and enjoying the morning weather. Taking deep breaths, I tried to go over mentally what I was going to say to Eric. Ary and I had been unsuccessful with getting him on the phone the previous evening, so I was forced to confront him at school. Unless I wanted quite a few nonvegetarian vampires running around in Forks, I had to do this.

As I joined the McRaes they all turned and welcomed me with smiled and hugs. Erickson especially lingered in our embrace a little longer than necessary—I didn't complain. The others fell back into their conversations as I turned to Eric with a nervous smile on my face.

"Eric," I said, my voice cracking a little bit, and he turned to look at me. "Can I talk to you alone for a minute?" I started trembling, due to the cold and my nerves.

"Of course," he smiled and followed me towards the school. Once inside, he turned and gave me a perplexed look. "Is everything all right Bella?"

I smiled ruefully and sighed. "Look Eric," I said slowly. "I know you're really excited about your birthday and…I really want to go…"

"But…?" he prodded me narrowing his eyes curiously.

"But," I continued, "I'm worried about these other vampires that you're inviting."

His head jerked back and immediately enveloped me in an embrace. "Bella, you don't have anything to worry about. I won't let them hurt you."

His luxurious scent made my head spin and I tried desperately to piece my thoughts back together. Pushing against his chest softly, I looked up at him. "W-Well Eric," I sighed as his golden eyes pierced through me like topaz daggers. "I'm m-more worried about the other people in Forks." His eyebrows rose as he appeared to see my point and I continued. "You see,

I wouldn't want anything to happen to my Dad or any of my friends."

His expression was unreadable as he poured over my flushed face. Would he agree or would he still invite his horde of non-vegetarian friends? My heart began to race as he ran a hand through his hair and groaned.

"Bella," his voice was luxurious even while muttering. "You've really put me in a bind." He pulled away from me, crossed his muscular arms across his chest, and furrowed his brow. "I want you at my celebration; however I have not seen my friends in quite awhile."

"I'm sorry," I said instinctively.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, _mi Bella_," he sighed and uncrossed his arms. "I'm the one who's been completely irresponsible." He moved forward, lifted my chin with two fingers, and smiled at me. "If you ask me to do this for you, it shall be done."

My breath caught in my throat and I coughed a bit while my face continued to flush. Eric lifted his other hand, placed it on my cheek, and stared at me with an odd sense of adoration. My mind flustered, as I inhaled his delicious scent, and I was forced to shake my head to clear my thoughts.

"Eric," I said slowly and unsurely. "I-I'd really like it if you d-did not invite anymore v-vampires." I stumbled through the request, flubbing my speech and tripping on the final word.

Eric went silent as his golden eyes bore into me with passionate interest. He sighed deeply and blinked slowly. "All right, Bella," he breathed heavilywhile he spoke and did not look away from me. "Consider it done."

I relaxed my pose a little as he agreed to cancel the invitation to the other vampires. _Charlie and the rest of Forks are safe…_

The days ticked by quickly as Eric's birthday approached swiftly and my nervousness grew with each passing moment. I had never been to a vampire's birthday party, so I was unsure what the proper etiquette was. Every time I asked Ary about it, she would smile, shake her head, and tell me not to worry about it.

"Easy for you to say," I remarked one day at lunch, after Ary had dismissed my questions once again. "You've been to one before." I leaned away and sighed heavily, thinking slightly about canceling my RSVP to the party.

"You really shouldn't worry Bella," Skye remarked perkily behind me, as she twisted my hair into a French braid. "Our birthday celebrations are really no different than human ones." I winced as she tightened the knot in my hair with a hair tie and sat down beside me.

"I guess I just don't know what to wear," I sighed and felt the back of my hair, wondering if I looked absolutely ridiculous. "Also, what should I get him?" What exactly do you get a 122 year old vampire?

Ary leaned forward and smiled. "Bella, you don't need to worry about a gift," she said and crossed her arms on the table. "He'll be happy with youmpresence alone."

"Really?" I asked and looked from Skye to Ary, who both nodded their heads. "Well, I still don't know what I should wear." I briefly thought of Alice, who would never have allowed me to wonder such a thing. She was the dresser of the entire Cullen family—they were powerless to stop her. A strong pain boiled within me and I tried to focus on Ary as she spoke.

"It's not really a formal event, if that's what you're wondering," Ary said and narrowed her eyes at my hunched posture. She sighed sadly before continuing, "If you like, you can borrow some of my clothes."

My eyes shot up at Ary's suggestion. Her wardrobe was much similar to mine; she wore simple outfits that consisted of t-shirts and jeans. I appraised her current ensemble with admiration: a plain long sleeved black t-shirt, dark jeans, and tennis shoes. "That would help a lot. Thanks Ary."

She grinned and leaned forward. "I think I have just to outfit for you. I'll drop it by your house on Friday." I nodded in agreement, excited at what she would give to me. Surely it wouldn't be too scary; nothing that Alice would have put me in anyway.

Friday came swiftly and I was even more nervous than before. When I told Ary about my hesitations about Eric's birthday, I hadn't been completely honest. True, I was nervous on which outfit to wear and what I should get him for a gift, but that wasn't the root of my anxiety. The truth was, I was still haunted by my own birthday celebration with a family of vampires.

I sighed as I stepped out of the shower, and glanced down at my bare forearm. The soft scar snaked its way through my skin, along with another familiar scar. A shiver ran through me as I remembered James' venom burning within me. A bit of fear rushed through me as I briefly wondered what possible horrors awaited me at Eric's birthday party.

"Hey Bells," Charlie knocked hesitantly from the hallway. "Your friend Ary just dropped off a package and said she'd be back later. I left it in your room."

"Thanks Dad," I said as I brushed out my wet hair. I heard him walk down the stairs before I changed into my sweatpants and exited the bathroom. Charlie had been keen to talk about Ary and her family since she had come over. He was too polite to question her at dinner, so he reserved the interrogation for me.

I eagerly opened the parcel, which was sitting on my bed waiting for me, and took a deep breath. The dress was perfect for me: a simple smock dress with cap sleeves and a matching pair of shoes. The elegant blue fabric was soft and plush beneath my fingers. I was about to get dressed when a hushed whisper filled my ears.

"_That shade of blue looks very lovely on you."_

I spun around and looked frantically for the source of the voice but was met with nothing. My heart began to race and a familiar pain enveloped my midsection.

It had been too long since I had suffered at the mercy of the hole in my chest. Now, it came back with a vengeance. My heart pumped surges of burning pain all throughout my body, forcing me to me knees. Gasping for breath, I gripped my stomach with both arms and rolled onto my side. _Let_ _it pass…let it pass…please let it pass._

The rumbling pain began to subside and I was finally able to lift myself off the floor. Leaning against the bed, I let a few small tears slip through. The pain was getting less frequent but its intensity was not diminishing. I hugged my knees to my chest and wondered if it would ever go away.

Was my memory like a sieve, as Edward had put it, and were my memories slowly slipping away? I sighed and looked at the clock on my nightstand. _Holy crow, it's already_

_10:30; Ary will be here soon! _Not hesitating, I slipped the dress over my head and affixed the shoes—ballet flats—to my feet. I dashed to the bathroom and rummaged through what makeup I had available. After a few trials and errors, I settled on a very natural look and headed downstairs.

Charlie turned away from his television program and smiled at me. "You look nice, Bella," he said and joined me in the kitchen. I was anxiously looking around for something small to eat—I doubted that there would be food at the McRaes'.

"Thanks, Dad," I said and continued to scour the small space. "Hey, how come there's no food?"

Charlie raised his eyebrows softly and I remembered that I was in charge of the food supply. Nodding my head, I shrugged. "I guess I'll eat at the party."

"Wouldn't you already be planning to do that?" he asked absentmindedly and narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah," I said hesitantly. "I'm just not sure if they're going to have food or not. Ary didn't tell me." Before Charlie could answer, there was a knock at the door. "Oh, that must be Ary." I rushed through the hallway and practically threw the door open.

Ary, on the other side of the door, was dressed in a dress similar to mine—only in black. Her red painted lips curled into a smile as she raised her eyebrows at my demeanor. "Are you all right?" she asked warily.

"Yeah," I said breathlessly.

"Hello Chief Swan," she said with a formal tone and stepped forward to shake Charlie's hand. "Thank you for letting Bella come over tonight; it wouldn't be a party without her." Her blue eyes glistened even in the dark and soon had Charlie tripping over his own words.

"Oh, n-not a problem," he said as a thick blush swept across his face. "You two have fun." I smiled and followed Ary outside to her car.

"I forgot to thank you, by the way," Ary said as she unlocked the doors and we both climbed in.

"For what?" I asked curiously.

"For doing your best to keep Eric from inviting his friends," she remarked and turned on the car. "I know it must have been difficult."

I shrugged softly, not wanting to think about how I had tripped over my attempt to flirt with Ary's brother. My face flushed and I sighed, not sure what I was about to experience.

"Oh, there is something I should tell you," Ary said hesitantly. "It appears that Erickson has invited someone despite your request." Her eyes narrowed and her jaw tightened, showing her disapproval for her brother's choice. "I'll understand if you'd prefer to be taken home."

"What? No," I insisted and twisted my body to face her. "Ary, I'm not afraid to be around vampires."

"So I've surmised," she said and threw me a reproachful look before guiding the car onto the highway. "Be that as it may," she continued, "I want you to be on your guard tonight, Bella."

"Why? Who is he inviting?"

"I don't know," Ary said and gripped the steering wheel. "That's what's making me so uncomfortable with this whole situation. Bella, you're my friend; I don't want anything to happen to you." Her voice was filled with worry and briefly reminded me of Edward.

"Ary," I said softly. "There are nine of you. How much trouble can one vampire cause for you?"

"Good evening Bella," Avarice said cordially and kissed my hand, just like the first time I had met him, as we entered the gigantic house. He was dressed in a short sleeve black shirt, black slacks, but no shoes. He me my curious stare and laughed heartily before answering my unspoken question. "Not all of us need to wear shoes, my dear."

"He believes he plays better without them," Ary said airily and shook her head. "But in reality, he got used to bare feet in Japan."

"Japan?" I shook my head, not understanding.

"We stayed there after Skye joined the family," Ary explained and led me to the gigantic sofa as Avarice disappeared upstairs.

"How did Avarice and Skye—well—you know?" I wasn't quite sure how to ask how the two had found one another.

"You mean how did they end up together?" she asked, thoroughly humored by my awkward stuttering. "Well, Avarice found her hunting on the streets in Tokyo and, well, you can say it was love at first sight."

"Hmm," I nodded and tried to hide the pain that surged from that one statement. Love was not a subject that I talked about easily.

"Yeah, you wouldn't know it by looking," Ary continued as Skye bounced into the room and began staring at the ceiling with a strange angry look. "But she is one terrifying little hacker. She was kicked out of M.I.T. and a few other technical schools for...what are you doing?" Ary stared curiously at Skye, who continued to glare at the ceiling.

"There's a snag in the cable," she muttered without looking at us. "I'm thinking it's right here." She pointed above her head with her index finger and crossed her arms.

Ary groaned and rubbed her forehead. "You're not going to crawl around in the ventilation duct again, are you?"

This caught Skye's attention and she glanced at Ary with a mischievous smile before zipping out the same door she had entered from.

"No!" Ary jumped to her feet instantly and sprinted after the Asian vampire, leaving me by myself and curious what that was all about. Before I could contemplate my being alone, a pair of strong arms wrapped

around my shoulders.

"Oh!" I nearly jumped a mile as Eric rested his frigid cheek against mine.

"Hello Eric."

"Mmm, good evening, _mi Bella,_" he cooed softly and stroked my cheek. In a fluid motion, he maneuvered around the couch and took a seat beside me. "I was afraid you wouldn't be coming tonight."

I smiled softly and shifted my body to face him. "I told you that I would."

He nodded and inhaled deeply. "That you did."

We sat in silence for a few seconds before I started speaking again. "So," I said quickly and turned away from his hungry eyes. "What's this I hear about an additional guest?"

"Ah," he said and leaned away from me. "I'm not surprised that Aryana told you about that." I nodded and raised my eyebrows while he straightened his posture and began explaining. "You see, Bella," he started quickly. "I had a friend who was in the neighborhood and I thought it would be polite to invite him."

"I see," I nodded and turned my attention to my hands.

"_Mi Bella_?" I turned and was immediately captivated by the depth of his smoldering eyes. They burned straight through me and caused my heart to skip a few beats. "I won't let anything happen to you—ever." Before I could answer, a swift knocking startled me and I jumped. My eyes turned towards the door and I wondered who would be on the other side. Eric chuckled and hopped up. "Well, speak of the devil." He earnestly approached the door and opened it.

"Well good evening, Rochester."

"Good evening, Erickson," a deep southern drawl answered Eric's greeting. "May I come in?"

Eric moved out of the way and a figure entered the house, shrouded by the shadows. As he moved into the light, I took a deep breath. Eric's guest was shorter than he but was a close rival in build. His sandy brown hair fell to his ears and rested in a soft comb over style. He was dressed in a white long sleeve button up shirt and black dress pants, which made him look like a businessman of some sort. I was still appraising his appearance when he noticed me.

"Oh, and what is this?" his tone took on a seductive twist as he approached me. His crimson irises, though frightening, seemed hypnotizing as they burned into me. "Erickson, who is this delicious looking party favor?"

A shiver ran through my spine as he approached me, licking his lips slowly. Instantly, Eric appeared in front of me, a growl rumbling in his chest. "She is not a party favor," he spoke each word individually. "She is my guest of honor."

The other vampire raised his eyebrows curiously but did not tear his eyes from me. "Oh?" he said with obvious intrigue. "Then why don't you introduce us?"

"Of course," Eric said and moved back. "Bella Swan, I'd like to introduce you to a very old friend, Daniel Rochester. Rochester, this is my Bella."

A flock of butterflies congregated in my stomach as Eric referred to me as his, but I tried my best to keep my composure. I immediately lifted my hand and offered it to Rochester.

"It's nice to meet you," I muttered with a faltering smile.

Before Rochester could make a move, a loud snarl filled the awkward silence. Three things happened at once: Rochester flew back first across the room, Eric moved in front of me, and the entire McRae family appeared in the living room.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ary roared and glared at Rochester who stood alone on the opposite side of the room. "Daniel Rochester? Erickson how can you be so stupid?"

"He's a friend, Aryana," Eric hissed but did not move. "He's promised to refrain from—"

"Do you honestly believe," she cut him off, "that his promises mean anything to me?"

"Come now," Rochester spoke with a pleading kindness and took a step forward. "Can't we all be friends, Yana?"

The arguing between Eric and Ary immediately silenced and she turned to face him. She growled and advanced toward the guest, her lips pulling over her teeth. When she was only inches away from him, Ary yanked at his collar, pulling his face to hers, and snarled in his face.

"Do not call me that," she hissed menacingly and pushed him back.

"My apologies, Aryana," he amended and reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out an envelope and smiled smugly at her. "This is for you." Ary tensed as she stared at the envelope but quickly regained her composure. She glowered at Rochester and snatched the envelope from him.

My confusion and curiosity was heightened by this brief exchange, and I couldn't help but wonder what was in the envelope. I didn't get a chance to think of it much longer as Eric wrapped his arm around me and led me outside. The others followed with broad smiles and cheerful laughter. Glancing back, however, I caught Rochester's strange and interested eyes pouring over me. I shivered and faced forward, wondering what all the night had in store for me.

The back of the McRae's house had been decorated with colorful twinkling lights and elegant furniture placed around a roaring bonfire. I took a seat on a comfortable chaise lounge, as did the others. Avarice promptly began playing his bagpipes and Argos joined him with a drum under his arms. The music effortlessly flowed through the air and, before long, almost the entire McRae family was dancing around the fire.

"Bella," Eric's voice caught me off guard and I jumped a little. He smiled apologetically and extended his hand to me. "I'm sorry. Will you dance with me?"

The luminance of Eric's skin hypnotized me as the fire light danced playfully off it. "What was that?" I asked, distracted.

He chuckled and crouched down so he could look me in the eye. "I said," he smiled from ear to ear, "will you dance with me?"

"Dance?" The word made me tense up and brought back horrible memories. The last time I had danced at all was with Edward at prom. My stomach tightened up, forcing me the grip my midsection and wince. "I…uh...don't dance, Eric."

"Don't or won't?" He looked at me, thoroughly humored.

I fidgeted under his gaze and shifted. "I'm not very coordinated; dancing usually ends badly for me."

He chuckled and reached down, ensnaring me in his arms, and lifted me from the safety of my seat. I babbled a few inaudible sounds, confused by his actions, and attempted to push away from him.

"Lucky for you," he mused while I struggled, "that I am _extremely _coordinated."

Before I could lodge a complaint, Eric had carried me closer to the fire and lowered me to ground. Eric slowly wrapped his arm around my lower back and took my hand in his. The heat coming off the fire contrasted the cold from his skin and caused goose bumps to cover my body.

"Bella, dancing is really not difficult," he whispered to me and edged our bodies closer. His frigid temperature felt pleasant next to the heat radiating from the roaring bonfire. "People who are less coordinated than you can dance. Believe me, I've seen it."

Eric started rocking back and forth and I instinctively lowered my eyes to my feet. Maybe if I watched them, I'd have a less likely chance of tripping on them. His motion stopped and his fingers found my chin, lifting it back up.

"Your face is too lovely to hide," he said with a warm smile.

I sighed and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry Eric," I murmured softly though

I knew he could hear me. "I just don't have very good memories associated with dancing."

"Well that's not a good thing," he said and proceeded to start rocking again. I followed his lead and we soon fell into an awkward side to side motion. "You should never have any unpleasant memories, _mi Bella._"

I shrugged. "That's life I guess." Eric's chest rumbled and I sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Eric. This is your birthday party and I'm being a party pooper."

He laughed heartily and pulled away. "There's no way you could spoil my night, Bella. However, this slow music is kind of grating on my nerves."

I hadn't noticed until now but the music was indeed very melodious and slow. The song he was currently playing sounded like a slower version of mAmazing Grace. Eric broke away from me and waved to Avarice.

"Hey Avarice!" he shouted as the bagpipes stopped. "Let's pick it up, okay? This is a party not a funeral!"

Almost on cue, Avarice leaned back and started playing faster. The tones became light and airy, filling me with a strange happiness that I couldn't comprehend. All the music I had heard recently had filled me with painful memories. Yet this, this beautiful harmonic music, burrowed into my soul and blossomed within me.

I barely noticed when Eric slipped his arm back around my waist and began to guide me around the fire in a swirling motion. Leaning forward, I rested my head on his chest and sighed, feeling the relaxation fill me.

"You see?" Eric murmured as our dancing came to a stop. I raised my curious eyes to him. "You dance beautifully, Bella—when you're not staring at your feet."

I inhaled deeply and smiled at him. "Well, it's nice to have a good partner."

He chuckled lightly and stared at me, his eyes twinkling in the light. However, something behind me caught his attention and his expression darkened. His eyes narrowed and his mouth tightened as he released me.

"Bella," he said without looking at me. "Please excuse me; I'll be right back."

He was instantly gone—moving at vampire speed in the darkness—and I was by myself. I knit my brow as I wondered where Eric had run off to and, moreover, what was wrong. Sighing heavily, I turned back to the chair that I had been sitting in, and almost jumped a mile. Rochester was standing right behind me, a sly smile spread across his face.

"Oh," I exclaimed and put my hand on my chest. "Rochester, you startled me."

He cringed softly and shook his head. "Please Bella, dear, call me Daniel."

There was something about the tone in his voice that made me recoil a bit. Like the calm before the storm, Daniel Rochester's presence made me uneasy. I laughed softly and nodded, anxiously looking for a way around mhim. Unfortunately all the others were sidetracked at the moment; Avarice and Argos were playing, Skye and Melena were engaged in conversation, and Ira and Dante appeared to be whispering behind a tree, while Ary and Eric were nowhere to be seen.

"So, Bella," Rochester said and crossed his arms, his face interested. "How did you meet Erickson?"

I shrugged softly and wrapped my arms around midsection. "We go to the same school." His eyebrows rose curiously. "I'm lab partners with Ary and she introduced us."

"How nice," he smiled and pursed his lips.

"Yeah," I agreed awkwardly and looked over at my empty seat. "Well, I'm gonna go sit down; my calves are killing me."

"Oh, nonsense," Rochester cried happily and snagged my hand roughly. "Please, I must have a dance with you, Bella. I watched you and Erickson earlier. You are such a lovely dancer."

"Oh…well...I," before I could form an actual sentence, Rochester was swirling me around the fire, staring at me hungrily.

"You are such a nice person, Bella," he said and slowed down a bit. "For a human, I mean."

"Thanks."

"You are so wonderful to overlook Erickson's past transgressions," he said idly and gazed off into the distance.

The air caught in my throat and it was my turn to raise my eyebrows curiously. "Past transgressions?"

"Yes," he said and, after seeing my look of confusion, he smiled innocently. "All the women he has been involved with. Oh come now, you did know that he is a high risk commodity, yes?"

I felt numb as Rochester explained the intricacies of Erickson McRae's prior relationships. Every town or city they lived in, Eric had at least two women pining for him, and apparently, he didn't let their desires go unfulfilled.

"I think Beatrice was the last one," he continued with a pondering expression. "Yes, she and Erickson disappeared to Paris for almost a solid month. The family thought he'd never come back."

I took deep breaths, trying to keep the desperation from rising further in my throat. Knowing that Eric had a romantic life before he met me was one thing, but thinking that I was just another conquest was different. Slowly, I pulled away from Rochester and feigned a smile.

"I'm sorry," I said softly. "I'm not feeling well all of sudden."

"Not a problem." His chipper smile confused me, but I simply nodded and retreated back to my seat. The music had once again retreated to a slow ballad, and the other couples were taking advantage of it, swaying and moving to the music. Argos has taken a break from his drums; he and Melena were now locked together on the opposite side of the fire.

My chest began to heave as I scoured the grounds for any sight of Eric. Where did he go? The pain in my stomach clawed at me and slowly snaked itself through my veins. I cringed and wrapped my arms around myself, making a vain attempt to hold it together.

I spotted Rochester, standing a few yards away, and I quickly diverted my gaze. Tears pooled in my eyes as I remembered everything he had told me about Eric. Did I really mean nothing more to Eric than those women had? Had I become another vampire's distraction?

"_My kind are easily distracted"_

A small cry slipped through my lips, causing the others to look at me curiously, and I immediately covered my mouth with my hand. After a few seconds, the other McRaes lost interest and turned their eyes back to one another. I took deep breaths and looked around for somewhere to take refuge; I couldn't let anyone see me like this.

As I anxiously looked for an outlet, I saw a shadow move from the direction of the back door, and moments later Eric's figure appeared and then disappeared to the front of their house. I was immediately on my feet, heading in his direction. _Maybe I can get Eric to take me home. I can tell_ _him I'm not feeling well or something._

I quickly reached the front of the house, but saw nothing and no one. Ary's car was still parked where it had been when we arrived, but other than that, it was empty. Sighing heavily, I leaned against a nearby tree and mcringed at the pain returned. As I gripped my midsection, a strange feeling washed over me—the notion that I was being watched. Turning around, I jumped in surprise as I came face to face with Rochester.

"Oh!" I said and took a step back. "You startled me." _Again, _I mentally added.

"My apologies, dear Bella." His voice alarmed me; there was something familiar about it. His eyes narrowed as he approached me slowly, a hypnotic smile across his face.

"W-What are you doing up here, Daniel?" I asked and my heart began to thud as a wash of realization hit me. Rochester was a real vampire, meaning that he consumed human blood—and I was the only human for miles.

"Well," he said in a seductively smooth tone. "I saw you come up here and decided to follow you." I nodded. "You see, Bella, I have a bit of a predicament and I was wondering if you could help me."

I swallowed heavily. "S-Sure, I mean, I'll try."

"Good."

Rochester lurched forward, moving at vampire speed, and before I could think about screaming, he had me pinned against a tree. I struggled, even though I knew I had no chance against his vampire strength, and groaned under his massive weight. His sinister chuckling caught my attention and I halted my attempts to break free.

"Oh Bella," he sighed and cupped my face with his hands. "Erickson was so stupid to think he could keep another one of his females from me." He pulled his lips over his teeth and hissed violently.

"P-Please don't do this," I choked out and silently began to prepare myself for death. My mind traced back to Edward and the Cullens; I would never see them again. I tried my best to mentally bring up an image of Edward—a last bit of happiness before I died.

I was only vaguely paying attention to Rochester, who was apparently taking great pleasure in my pleading. He laughed softly and a soft growl rolled through his entire body.

_This is it…I love you Edward._

"Bella!"

My eyes snapped open, as a whistling sound filled the air, and Rochester flew fifteen feet away from me. Coughing heavily, I looked down and realized that I was still suspended in midair. I glanced behind me, anxious to see what was holding me up. Avarice had his arms wrapped securely around me, an angry scowl across his face. As he glared angrily towards my assailant, who was now growling and snarling from the ground, he pulled me in closer.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," Avarice mumbled to me.

Taking a deep breath, I looked towards Rochester and noticed he was standing three feet away from me. I tensed up, waiting for him to attack us both and rip me from the arms of Avarice. However, he simply stood there, not moving, a strained look on his face.

Rochester clenched his hands into tight fists and let out an awful roar, his black eyes were fixed on me. He raised his foot to take a step forward but did not move. He remained this way, frozen in place, growling and swiping at the air.

"What—" I began.

A rush of air tossed my hair and an audible snarl cut off my question. I looked at Avarice but he continued to glare at Rochester. When I looked back, Eric had his arms around Rochester's neck.

"I should've known," Eric hissed angrily as he pushed Rochester to the ground. Eric's eyes rested on me temporarily before he lowered himself into a crouch and hissed. "You are always after what's mine, Rochester."

Rochester lifted himself off the ground and grinned at Eric, who was approaching him slowly. "So is this how it ends?" he asked with a malevolent smile. "Don't forget who I am, Erickson. You need me; you _all_ need me!"

As I glanced around, I realized that all the McRaes were now assembled around us. Dante, Ira, Melena, Skye, and Argos were all standing off to the side, hindering a very angry looking Ary while Rochester continued his tirade.

"If you kill me," he hissed directly at Ary. "Who will be your messenger then?"

"Kill you?" Eric raised his eyebrows as he stood straight. "Who said anything about killing you, my friend?"

My mouth fell open as Rochester rose slowly and Eric embraced him. Eric was going to forgive him like that? I pursed my lips angrily, narrowed my eyes, and lowered my eyes. _Fine, this proves it. I'm a distraction._ However, right as my eyes lowered, an ear piercing scream forced my head to snap back up. I cringed in horror as I saw Eric standing with both of Rochester's arms in his hands, while Rochester himself lay writhing on the ground. Taking a deep breath, I coughed on a heavy sulphuric odor that was permeating the immediate area. Steaming liquid was pouring from Rochester's wounds and killing the grass on contact.

"Oh my god," I muttered and leaned back against Avarice, who tightened his hold on me.

"I want to make this perfectly clear," Eric's voice had taken on the same seductive tone that Rochester's had. "If you ever touch Bella again—I will kill you." With a flick of his wrists, Eric tossed the scrambling arms to the mground.

Rochester quickly maneuvered his body beside one of his severed appendages and proceeded to awkwardly reattach it. After a few seconds he stood up, now only missing one arm, and hissed at Eric.

The McRae family began moving forward and Rochester, seeing that he was massively outnumbered, lifted his hand in surrender. "Fine," he growled bitterly and affixed his other arm to his shoulder. Once it was reattached, he stared curiously at Eric. "So what now, McRaes?"

"Leave." There was no question in Eric's statement and Rochester could see it. He tightened his jaw and bowed forward before turning and disappearing into the night.

There was silence for what seemed like an eternity. Not one of the McRaes looked at one another or me. It took me a few seconds to realize that Avarice's arms were no longer wrapped around me. I sighed and rubbed my shoulders, realizing how cold they had gotten in his embrace.

Then, I took a step forward.

"Bella," Ary's quiet voice sent a surge of comfort and I turned to face her. "I-I'm so s-sorry."

I stared at her, wanting to say something—anything. However, the only thing I could do was open my mouth and say, "I need to go home." Ary nodded and motioned for me to follow. As I passed him, I touched Eric lightly on the shoulder but he didn't look at me. "Eric, I'm sorry."

I didn't look up to see his reaction; I simply jogged after Ary and slipped inside her car. As soon as I buckled my seatbelt, I let a sob rip through my body and all the tears I had been holding in were released. As Ary drove into the night, I cried out and let myself fall to pieces.

Aside from my sobbing, the ride home was silent as a ghost. Ary made no attempt to reach out to me or comfort me as she had when I first met her. Although this was what I was used to—suffering in silence—I did miss her concern.

Finally, after my crying had died down, we turned on a familiar street and in front of my house. Ary turned off the engine and leaned back into her seat with a sigh. "Are you all right?" she asked softly without looking at me.

"I-I think so," my voice and lips trembled as I stared at her. "Ary?" She still didn't look at me. "Will you please look at me?"

She took a deep breath and shifted to face me. The sadness in her eyes completely overwhelmed me and I reached forward, grasping her hand. "I'm so sorry, Ary."

Her sad eyes contorted to shock instantly. "What in the world do you have to be sorry for Bella?"

"For being human," I muttered and lowered my eyes. "And for ruining Eric's birthday party."

She groaned and rubbed her temples. "Bella, if anyone ruined Eric's birthday party, it was Eric. He knowingly invited that trash here and—god, Bella, if I had known that's who he invited, I never would have…"

"Who is he?" Rochester had seemed to believe he was an integral part to their life. I couldn't help wondering what his purpose was.

She sighed heavily. "He's a messenger of sorts," she grumbled and turned away from us. "He ferries information to us from outside sources."

"What outside sources?" I asked curiously.

"It's not important, Bella."

I took a deep breath and glanced back at my house. For a second, I swore that I saw Charlie peering out the window at us. _Well, that's not a_ _remote possibility. _"All right, Ary," I said slowly and opened the car door. "I should probably go."

"Yeah," she agreed and nodded.

"Will you do me a favor?" I implored as I turned around to look at her."Would you tell Eric that I'm sorry—for everything?"

"No, I won't," she growled and gripped the steering wheel. "You did absolutely nothing wrong, Bella."

I nodded and shut the door before heading towards my house. I heard Ary's car disappear into the distance and I grimaced as the memories of the night rested on me. More than anything else, I thought about everything Rochester had told me about Eric. _Was it true? Or had he just_ _wanted to get me away so he could eat me?_

"Well," I said bitterly as I unlocked the door. "They can't all be Edward."

_Author's Note: Repost _


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: **Secrets**

The days following the botched celebration should have been relaxing—I had survived my third vampire attack this year—yet I found myself more nervous than ever before. Since I had started spending time with the McRaes, there had been three instances where I had been in first was when I had first visited their home, the second was when I fell off the balcony, and now my altercation with their family messenger. You know what they say? Three strikes, you're out.

Sighing heavily, I took the turn off the highway and wondered if anything would change between the family and me. Would the McRaes up and leave like the Cullens had? Disappear like they had never truly existed? The hole in my chest blazed and I sucked in a deep breath, waiting for the searing pain to recede and the numbness to return.

"No," I choked out between deep inhalations. I told myself that Ary would never do such a thing. She had seen what Edward's leaving had done, and I was positive that the memory would prevent her from leaving. My brow furrowed as I began to think more about it. Although Ary and I had grown extremely close, she was still shut off—like there was a permanent wall surrounding her.

I groaned deeply as the dull ache radiated through me. I did everything I could to push my speculations of the McRaes' departure, knowing it would only hurt me more. I softly rubbed my chest, now numb, and grimaced at the feeling.

As my mind abandoned the idea of Ary and her family leaving, it rested on the memory of Rochester's remarks about Eric. I grimaced as I remembered the vast amount of women Rochester described and felt a lump form in my throat. Is it true? Could Eric really be a playboy and want me for nothing more than a distraction? I didn't have much time to think about it as the school came into view.

A horrified expression tore across my face as I noticed Ary's car was missing, and none of the McRae family was visible outside. I shuddered as the acidic hole in my chest ripped open and almost forced me to stop the truck. Did they do it? Did they leave and not even tell me? My bottom lip quivered, and a sob escaped my mouth. However, as I pulled into the parking lot, I spotted the SUV—driven by Dante—parked in its normal spot.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I headed to English, moving faster than I normally did this time of morning. Despite seeing the car, I was still unconvinced. I needed to see one of them, and knowing that Skye and Eric were in my English class made me move swiftly. I maneuvered my way through the sea of student, and before long, I found myself standing outside the door to my English class. Taking a deep breath, I moved inside the room and glanced at my seat. I released my withheld breath quickly; Skye was sitting in her usual seat, hunched over her notebook.

"Hi, Skye," I said eagerly as I took a seat next to her, trying my best to smile. I was so happy to see that she was still here, but noticed something different about her demeanor. As I shifted in my seat to face her, I took in Skye's body language and expression. Her face, usually teeming with life and a broad smile, was covered with seriousness and a frown.

Her grim appearance didn't wane as she turned hesitantly to acknowledge me. "Hello, Bella." Even her voice was bored and empty. "How are you doing today?"

"I'm fine," I said and narrowed my eyes at her. "How are you? Are you okay?" She shrugged and began writing in her notebook. Glancing at the clock, I noticed that class was about to start, and Eric was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey Skye," I asked as my eyes trailed across the classroom, wondering if he had taken a different seat. "Where's Eric?"

"Hunting with Argos," she said idly, not even bothering to look up this time. I peered over at her notebook, curious as to what she was scribbling, and marveled at the strange matrix of numbers before me. It was a series of strange combinations of ones and zeroes.

"What are you doing?" I asked curiously and moved closer to observe her. Skye anxiously pulled her hand over the page, blocking my view, and stared at me suspiciously. "What is that?"

"Binary," Skye said, moving her hand so that I could see. I remembered that Ary had said Skye was a "terrifying little hacker".

"Can you understand that?"

Skye sighed heavily, but kept her attention on the paper in front of her. "Of course I can."

I sat in silence for a few seconds, watching her write ones and zeroes in no particular order, until I spoke up. "So, where did Eric and Argos go?"

This caught her attention, and she raised her eyes to me. "Southern Canada, I think," she said with a familiar sparkle in her eyes. Her lip curved upward into a grin as she giggled. "It's really funny to see Argos chase down a moose."

I briefly let my imagination run wild and thought of Argos running after a gigantic moose through the Canadian wilderness. "That does sound a little strange," I said with a grin. Skye nodded, and the smile faded as she returned to her previous position.

The seconds ticked by and I knew, unless I wanted to stay in silence, I would have to ask her what's wrong. Sighing heavily, I leaned and tapped Skye on the shoulder.

"Skye," I said softly as she peered at me from the side. "Won't you tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Bella," she said with the same emptiness as before filling her voice.

"Skye," I insisted and leaned forward. " In the time I've known you, I've never seen you so sad. I can tell that something's wrong."

She sighed heavily and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Bella, I can't."

I leaned back into my seat, a look of horror on my face. "Is it me?" Skye's head snapped in my direction. "Is it because…of Eric's party?"

Skye shook her head. "No, no, Bella," she said. "This isn't your fault at all."

"Then what is it?" I asked desperately.

Mr. Marks walked through the door, and Skye threw me an apologetic look before turning her attention towards the front of the class. I leaned forward and tugged at her shirt, not wanting to let this go, but she quickly pulled her arm away and hissed softly. "I said no, Bella."

I retracted, but the menacing look in Skye's eyes did not wane. She continued to stare at me with a threatening glare until Mr. Marks started his lecture, then she shifted and faced forward. My stomach trembled all throughout class as I wondered what was going on. Despite all my attempts to dissuade it, my mind continued to wonder if the McRaes were leaving. Maybe that's why Skye's so upset. The hole in my chest ripped open and I hunched over, arm wrapped around my midsection as the pain consumed me. My arms began to shake, and I could hardly hear the teacher begin the lecture; my hearing was too muffled.

"Miss Swan?" I recognized my name and lifted my head to find Mr. Marks and the entire class staring at me. I immediately flushed bright red as he gawked at me with a sort of shocked concern. "Is everything all right, Miss Swan?"

"I…uh…I…" Stuttering heavily, I glanced around while my face flushed furiously. "Y-Yes."

Mr. Marks nodded with an unconvinced scowl, but turned and continued with his lecture. I turned back towards Skye, who refused to look at me, and made my resolve. I was going to get to the bottom of this, no matter what.

Time ticked by slowly as I passed from one class to another. My anxiety over my missing friend and the continuance of my curiosity were driving me insane. By the time lunch rolled around, I all but ran to the cafeteria looking for any sign of the McRae family. As I passed through the twin doors to the lunchroom, I sighed as I saw Ira, Dante, Skye, and Melena sitting at their normal table.

"Good afternoon, Bella." Melena smiled broadly as I took a seat next to her. "How has your day gone?"

"Fine," I mumbled and glanced at Skye, who was feverishly typing on a shiny blue laptop. "Are we allowed to have laptops at school?"

"Avarice told the principal that Skye is a budding genius," Ira giggled and poked her finger at Skye. "Forks High School is simply thrilled that they might have a chance to host a Rhodes Scholar."

"Oh hush," Skye grumbled and pushed Ira's finger away. "I've already turned that award down; I don't want it."

"What are you doing, Skye?" I inquired, but she didn't respond.

"Don't pay her any mind, Bella," Dante gushed beside Ira. "This is a game that she and Avarice play."

"Game?"

"He gives her favorite laptop a virus, and she has twenty-four hours to get rid of it," Dante's smile stretched across his entire face. "From the looks of it, he might actually win this time."

Skye hissed before refocusing on the screen of her laptop. I watched her for a few seconds, but my attention quickly meandered to the busy lunchroom. Across the space, I could see my old group of friends. I hadn't spoken to any of them for a while, and it really bothered me, but since I met Ary everything seemed different.

"Oh," I exclaimed as I was reminded of Ary's absence. "Melena, where's Ary?"

"She's not here," Skye spoke with abrupt harshness which caused a shiver to run through me. She stared sternly at me, and a low rumble flowed from her chest.

"Skye Lei!" Melena's voice was shocked and appalled. "How dare you growl at Bella—apologize at once!"

Skye lowered her head apologetically and exhaled heavily. "I'm really sorry, Bella," she mumbled. I could tell that her apology was sincere.

"It's okay, Skye." I smiled reassuringly

"You'll have to forgive her," I turned to Dante as he spoke, "she's got a short fuse."

I nodded but couldn't understand why my questions about Ary had made Skye angry to begin with. My brow furrowed as I tried to envelop myself in their conversation, however my mind was too preoccupied. The absence of Ary had heightened my curiosity, and I knew I wouldn't be able to concentrate until I knew exactly what was going on.

"Melena," I said, breaking my silence. "I'm sorry, but I have to know."

She knew what I was talking about—I could see it written on her face.

"Bella," she spoke hesitantly, throwing anxious glances to the others. "I'm sorry, I…no, I can't."

A frustrated groan slipped out, and I ran my hands through my hair. "Can't you tell me anything?" I asked, exasperated. "She's my friend. I just want to make sure she's okay."

The McRaes sat in silence, briefly exchanging glances. I was about to give up when Ira spoke.

"Lazarus contacted us," she said evenly and shrugged. "If you know what that means."

I didn't, in fact, know anything about Lazarus—aside from his relation to Avarice, that is. I was even more confused than I had been, which wasn't a good thing. My mind began to move a mile a minute, wondering why Lazarus would have such an effect on Ary. Briefly, I remembered the first time I had visited the McRae house. Ary had cringed whenever his name was mentioned. Just what was going on?

The McRaes had begun speaking amongst one another again, while I pondered what they were hiding. What was going on with Ary? Why did she stay home from school? As more and more questions mounted up, a realization dawned on me. If I wanted answers, I had to find them myself; I had to go to the McRae house and ask Ary directly.

Without stopping to think, I left the table and traveled toward my old group of friends, who were laughing and carrying on. Their carousing halted and changed to awkward silence the moment I tapped Mike on the shoulder.

"Hey Mike," I said trying to feign a smile. "Is there any way you could cover my shift tonight? I'm not feeling that well. I think it's a cold."

"Uh," Mike stammered for a minute before finding his voice. "S-Sure, Bella."

"Thanks, Mike," I said with a gracious sigh. "I owe you one."

Forty-five minutes later, I found myself driving up and down the highway, looking for the hidden turn-off which would lead me to the McRae house. I had only ever visited with Eric or Ary, although I remembered the route pretty well. I groaned and pulled to the side of the road to think. At this pace, I would run out of gas and be forced to hike back to Forks.

I groaned deeply and rested my forehead on the steering wheel before putting it back into drive. As I pulled forward, I let my eyes idly scan the forest, looking for any sign of an entrance. The trees passed slowly and continuously, like a lush green wall. I was strongly considering heading home when I slammed on the breaks, a triumphant grin on my face. A few yards away I saw it—a wide hole in the foliage, big enough for a car to go through.

Moving quickly, I pulled my truck in and disappeared into the greenery. The path was a bit bumpy, but nothing my old truck couldn't handle. I drove for a little under five minutes before I found the open gate and the house that lay beyond it. With a satisfied sigh, I shut off my truck and climbed out just as the rain started to fall. I covered my head as best I could, but the rain was swiftly seeping into my clothing. When I glanced up toward the house, I noticed the front door was wide open and Avarice was motioning for me to hurry inside. I dashed across the yard and quickly found myself wrapped in a warm blanket and perched in front of the fire place within the house.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise, Bella," Avarice mused beside me with a humored grin. "Your visits are usually a bit later."

"I know," I said apologetically and lowered my head. "I'm really sorry, Avarice. I don't mean to intrude."

"You, intrude? Never," he remarked and shook his head as he stood up. "You are always welcome here, Bella. However, by my knowledge, it's still

within school hours."

I nodded sheepishly and sighed.

"You're here about Aryana, aren't you?" he asked, his voice losing none of its humor.

Raising my eyes, I stared at him curiously. "How did you know?"

He shrugged and stoked the fire before answering. "I had a feeling."

I glanced back at the staircase, wondering if I should just head up and find her room, but as my eyes trailed back to Avarice, I caught a glance of Lazarus's picture hanging on the wall.

"Avarice," I said curiously and moved to stand by the family portraits. "Can I ask you something?"

"You may ask me anything," he said happily as he stood beside me.

I raised my eyes to him, marveling briefly at how the light from the fire danced on his skin, and took a deep breath. "Well, I was curious about Lazarus."

Avarice's calm demeanor went rigid and his stare became skeptical, however his tone was still pleasant. "And what causes you to wonder about my brother, Bella?"

I turned back to face the framed picture of Lazarus, which was now more illuminated by the fire. "Well, I've never met him," I said and marveled at the image of Avarice's brother. I could see the family resemblance, but there was something else that set them apart. While Avarice smiled broadly in his portrait, Lazarus wore a haunted and secretive grimace that sent a shiver through me.

"That's because he doesn't live with us." Avarice brought me back to reality with the abruptness of his answer.

"What's he like?"I asked as Avarice turned and made his way back toward the mantle of the fireplace.

Avarice sighed heavily and took a seat on the couch, gesturing for me to do the same. "My brother's very…unique, Bella. One of a kind and very genuine. He's very good on the inside, but some find it difficult to relate to him."

"Why is that?"

"He's extremely gifted," he said with a smile. "Many are afraid of him for it—I can't say that I truly blame them."

"When you say gifted," I said eagerly and leaned closer to him. "Do you mean he has a special ability?"

Avarice's eyebrows rose, and he chuckled softly. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you're aware of enhanced abilities. Yes, Bella, he is blessed with special gifts. There's a running bet among the family on who is stronger: Lazarus, Aryana, Argos, or myself."

The air caught in my throat, and I coughed softly. "You have a gift, Avarice?" He nodded his head and smiled at me. "What is it? I mean, what can you do?"

"Well, the Italians' name for my gift is _schermo_, however the English translation is simply: a shield."

"A shield?" I asked curiously and shook my head.

"I can protect myself and others from physical and mental attacks." As Avarice spoke, I remembered the attack at Eric's birthday party. Avarice had wrapped his arms around me, and Rochester appeared to stop in his tracks.

"So, at Eric's birthday party," I said slowly. "That's why Rochester couldn't attack me?"

"Very good, Bella," Avarice raised his eyebrows, obviously impressed with my insight, which made me blush.

"So," I continued, trying to make the red on my cheeks. "What about Lazarus?"

Avarice grimaced and lowered his head. "My brother is quite the opposite," he said gravely and looked at me. "While my gift is a means of protection, his is not. He was blessed with certain telekinetic abilities."

"Telekinetic?" I spoke with an awed expression. "You mean he can move things with his mind?"

"Yes," Avarice nodded. "Among other things."

"Other things?" I narrowed my eyes at his curious comment and the grimace that followed it. As I took in his deepened brow and troubled expression, I could only assume that Avarice was a little put off by his brother's abilities.

"Don't worry about it, Bella," he finally answered in a strained voice and attempted a grin, which didn't fool me at all, but judging by the stern expression that followed, I decided to drop it.

"Hmm." I grinned awkwardly and stood up. "Well, I should probably let Ary know I'm here." I was startled as Avarice bent over and laughed loudly, holding onto his stomach tightly. "What is it?"

"You," he said in between chuckles, "thinking that Aryana doesn't already know you're here." He made a slight twirling motion with his fingers and whispered, "Turn around."

Turning around slowly, I was greeted by Ary, who was standing in the middle of the stairwell, arms folded across her chest. Her face was covered by the shadows, but I was pretty sure she looked surprised.

"Hi Ary," I muttered and approached the stairs.

"Bella," her voice was tense. "You shouldn't take so much after Erickson."

"Huh?"

She took a few steps down, and the light revealed her disapproving stare. "Skipping school is bad."

I smiled softly and shrugged, approaching the base of the staircase. "You're one to talk."

"True," she agreed ruefully before descending the stairs and grabbing my wrist. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get this over with."

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: I'm not entirely sure what happened. I checked this chapter twice before posting it. I suppose we have our wonderful ffnet staff to thank for that mishap.<em>


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

**Mirror Images**

"So let me get this straight," Ary said with a stifled chuckle before shutting the door to her bedroom. "You decided to come over here because I wasn't at school?"

"No," I insisted while my eyes poured over Ary's gigantic room in awe. I was pretty sure the entire top floor of my house could fit inside this one space. The walls of were dark cherry wood, while the furniture was adorned with black upholstery. From the nightstand to the chest and drawers, everything was a rich ebony color. My eyes panned over to the corner where, propped against the wall, I saw a platform-style bed. I was confused for a few seconds, thinking of Edward's statement that vampires didn't sleep, but remembered that Ary was only half vampire. The concept of her sleeping wasn't completely absurd. I turned to see her standing in the doorway, watching m with a humored smile.

"So what did they tell you?" Ary inquired and leaned casually against the wall, staring at me with heightened interest.

"What do you mean?" I asked and moved deeper into the room, briefly noticing a series of deep scratches in the walls. My brow indented heavily as I inspected them from a distance. They were not scratches; they were deeper than that. Whatever made those had to be big—really big.

"Well," Ary startled me by suddenly appearing at my side, following my gaze with her own eyes and grimacing a bit. "Since you didn't come over here just because I wasn't in school, I can only deduce that the others told you something that forced your curiosity. Am I right so far?" I nodded and she continued, moving around the room with her hands behind her back. "Now, knowing my family the way I do, I'm guessing it was Ira."

I bit my bottom lip as Ary turned back and stared at me expectantly. Not wanting to rat out anyone, I stared at the floor and twiddled my fingers anxiously. However, as I continued to look anywhere—except at Ary—she strolled across the distance separating us crossed her arms.

"Bella," she chuckled lightheartedly and touched my arm lightly, making me lift my head in curiosity. "It's okay; I'm not mad, just curious."

I briefly contemplated if I should tell her, and, after another reassuring smile from Ary, I sighed and nodded. "Ira told me that Lazarus contacted you—that's all."

Her smile slowly retreated to a frown and her eyes lowered to the ground. With a heavy sigh, she shifted and sat down on the edge of the gigantic bed. I struggled not to let my eyes roam around the room, knowing that I should be worried about Ary, so I followed and took a seat beside her.

She remained silent, despite my close proximity, which made me increasingly nervous.

"Ary, why does he bother you so much?" I asked, breaking the silence after a few minutes. My knowledge of Lazarus had grown—but not by much. My biggest question was: why did he upset Ary?

"He's my husband, Bella," she said with a forced smile and turned to face me.

"Oh." I guess it wasn't unthinkable that Ary was married, I just never saw her with anyone, so assumed she was single. My eyebrows pulled together as I remembered the Cullens and their habits with their own mates. They were never away from one another for extended periods of time, except to go hunting. So what was different about Ary and Lazarus? "I didn't know that you were married."

"Of course you didn't," she said with a blank expression, voice filled with sarcasm. "Because I didn't tell you."

I laughed at her point. "That's true," I agreed, and Ary turned away from me, wrapping her arms around her stomach in a very familiar way. Despite my attention to her hunched posture, I pressed for more information on Lazarus. "So, how long have you two been married?"

"Time doesn't mean much to me anymore, Bella," she said with an exasperated sigh and I nodded. "Almost two hundred years, if my memory serves me right."

"Wow," was the only thing I could say. Her relationship with Lazarus made mine and Edward's miniscule in comparison. While I stared at Ary, I saw a strange sadness behind her eyes, and I had to know more. "So, where is he?"

Ary lowered her head and her arms, wrapped around her stomach, tightened. "In Texas—somewhere."

Again, my curiosity flared up and I immediately had to know why Lazarus was so far away. Was there something going on? Did they have a fight? The first seemed more logical than the second, since vampires mate for life, but what could force Lazarus to leave his wife behind. My internal conversation must have translated across my face, because Ary answered my unspoken questions.

"He doesn't want to be around me," she said with a defeated tone and her shoulders slumped forward. My mouth fell open but I was speechless, and, as I stared, she curled up in the fetal position on the bed. For the first time since I came in the room, I took in Ary's physical appearance. Her eyes were sunken in with dark circles surrounding them, sallow cheeks, and she appeared more pale than usual. In simple terms: Ary looked very tired.

As I continued to inspect her, she shifted her eyes to me and my world came to halt. The look in her eyes—the emptiness, the pain—it was like looking into a mirror of myself. Her arms tightened around her stomach, trying to hold herself together, and a single tear slipped down her cheek.

"Ary," I whispered and scooted closer to her. "Why do you think he doesn't want you around?"

"Because he told me," she replied in a soft, broken voice.

"How could he say such a thing?" I demanded and shook my head wildly at her. "I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want you around! You're funny and smart." Ary closed her eyes softly and let out a quiet sob, and I couldn't help myself. "And you're the best friend I've ever had."

My mind immediately screamed at me, trying to remind me of Alice and the bond I shared with her, but I couldn't bring myself to care about it. Alice left, whatever her reasoning, and even though I would never forget her, I had to accept that and move on. So, with a deep breath, I swallowed the pain rising in my chest, and accepted the agony with a willing determination. My breath hitched as a twin set of tears rolled down my own cheeks and splashed onto my hands.

Ary propped herself up on one elbow and raised her eyebrows at me.

"Who said you could cry?" she asked with a sideways smirk.

"Who said you could?" I ricocheted the question back at her, which earned me a quirky laugh.

She took a deep breath and sat up a little more. "You know the worst part of this?" she asked with a furrowed brow, and I shrugged in response. "It was all a lie."

There was silence for a few seconds before I shook my head, confused. "What do you mean?"

Ary pushed herself off the bed and, after walking to the nightstand, picked up a small envelope. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the white object towards me and I inspected it. The front of the envelope had several stamps on it; like it had been sent several different places prior. As I stared at the envelope, realization spread across my face. At Eric's birthday, Rochester had brought an envelope and given it straight to Ary.

"This was what Rochester brought," I said and stared at Ary, who grimaced at the mention of his name.

"Yes," she said and motioned to the envelope. "You can read it, if you like."

Without hesitating, I pulled out the letter and began reading the most beautiful script I had ever seen. The elegant penmanship surpassed anything, including Edward's. After admiring the writing, I began reading the contents.

_My Dearest Yana,_

_If you are reading this then I have proceeded with my plan, and am currently living in the south. There is nothing left for me to say but I'm sorry. Yana, everything that I told you was false. Knowing that you would never leave my side made it necessary to give false witness. You had to hate me before you would let me leave. Please believe me when I say, I love you…._

I quickly shut the letter, feeling the aching hollowness rip through me, and looked back at Ary. "So, he lied about everything?" She nodded. "Then why are you so upset? It's obvious that he loves you."

"Bella, you don't understand," she said with a pained expression and moved to the far corner of the room. "I've always had a feeling that he feels responsible for me. After all, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be like this." She motioned to her pallid exterior and my mouth fell open.

Confusion rushed through me while I wondered how Lazarus could have had an impact on her creation. Eric had told me Ary was bitten by a vampire and, rather than kill her, it bonded with her on a cellular level. My mouth fell open as an epiphany hit me. "Lazarus was the one who bit you."

"Strange, isn't it," she chuckled darkly and took a seat in a chair. "We became officially mated after that."

"Well, Ary." I moved over to her quickly, speaking the entire way. "I'm sure that's not the reason he married you."

"How can I be sure?" she growled and gripped both armrests of the chair tightly. I slowly took a step back as a small tremor rolled down Ary's skin and the blue in her eyes began to dissipate.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I spoke cautiously, not wanting to upset her. "Because someone once told me that vampires mate for life," I sighed and moved closer to her slowly. "And the letter doesn't seem like it was written by someone who doesn't care."

She sighed and, as her shoulders relaxed, she sobbed again. "I'm sorry," she choked out as her chest heaved and wrapped her arms around herself. "It's like I have no control anymore, Bella. I can hardly breathe without him."

Without trying to catch herself, Ary lurched forward and fell on the floor, gripping her stomach and sobbing. I couldn't help myself, instinctively, I lowered myself and wrapped both my arms around her, feeling the heat of her skin and her tears warm my skin. I didn't really know what I was doing; I had never been _that kind _of friend before. After Edward left, I had turned away from everyone I had once called a friend, and shut myself away. But this was different, Ary and I were mirror images; both of us had been shunned by the one we loved the most, and left to deal with our pain alone.

The difference was Ary had a silver lining, there was a chance that Lazarus still loved and wanted her. Edward had made it clear that I was nothing more than a distraction. I winced as the pain engulfed me and, as she leaned away from me, I wrapped my arm around my midsection, trying to hold the pain in. After a few minutes, the pain began to dull and my face flushed with embarrassment. As I lifted my head and met Ary's stare, she shook her head slowly.

"I told you it doesn't help," she muttered, indicating my stomach.

I scoffed and shook my head. "Yeah, I should listen to you more."

"There's something I never told you, Bella," she said hesitantly and grimaced slightly. "When I saw you in the forest, after the Cullen boy left, it wasn't your scent that caught my attention."

"I don't understand," I said with confusion. Ary had indeed told me that while her family was investigating the area—trying to find out if it was suitable to live in—Ary had happened upon my and Edward's scent. Worried that a vampire had made off with a human, she followed it and found us both.

"I saw him leave you," she admitted and lowered her head. "His words and your reaction were what held me there. When he left, I couldn't let you stay there—I had to make sure you were okay."

I sighed and winced softly as the dull ache became sharper. "It doesn't matter anymore, he's gone."

"That may be," she said and her soft laughter caused me to perk up. "But you have a chance for happiness again."

"What?" I asked curiously. After seeing her sly smile, I assumed she meant Eric. "I don't know about that, Ary."

"Why not?" She sat up and leaned against the chair she was previously sitting in. "He's very interested, you know."

"So I've surmised." I grimaced as I recalled what Rochester had said about him. "But, I've heard bad things about him."

"Like what?" she asked indignantly with a wide grin.

"That he's had a lot of women." I lowered my head while I spoke, not wanting to see Ary's reaction to the slanderous comments about her brother. When I looked up, Ary didn't look angry or surprised in the least, she looked confused.

"What's your point?" she asked blankly.

"My point is," I clarified and narrowed my eyes at her, "that I don't want to be another vampire's distraction."

"Well," Ary said with a resigned smile and folded her arms over her chest. "I would suggest giving him a chance. He may surprise you."

As I listened to Ary, I couldn't help but point out her sudden change of heart. After all, she had made no attempt to hide her displeasure of our closeness in the past; what had changed?

"Ary?" My eyebrows pulled together in curiosity and confusion. "Why the sudden change of opinion?"

"What do you mean?" she asked and stood up from the bed.

I followed her closely, noticing a strange sluggishness in her walk but my curiosity of her sudden acceptance of Erickson forced me away from it. "Not too long ago, you were obviously against the idea of Eric having feelings for me."

"I was," she agreed and opened a door, which revealed a small walk in closet. Reaching up on the shelves, she pulled down a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before she began to change right in front of me.

I averted my eyes and turned around quickly. "So, what's changed?"

"Well," I heard Ary say from behind me. "After Friday's events, despite my anger at Erickson's decisions, he's made it quite clear that his intentions are not what I anticipated."

"What did you anticipate?" I inquired with a snort, wondering if she thought Eric would use me like he had the others.

"Certainly not this," she said with a strange inflection in her voice. I heard her exhale heavily and, before I could find out what she _had _anticipated, she appeared beside me. "Besides," she continued and moved back to the bed. "You'll need someone to look after you in the coming weeks."

"Coming weeks?" My stomach tightened at the ominous undertones of her words. "What do you mean?"

"I'm leaving, Bella," Ary said hesitantly. "In two days."

My mouth fell open and the acidic hole, dormant for far too long, ripped open, almost forcing me to my knees. As I gasped for breath, the only thing I could remember was Edward's final farewell to me. The memories tore at me, ripping my insides to pieces like a dull knife. I winced against all the pain I felt as Ary's frantic calls broke through my muffled hearing.

"Bella?" she cried anxiously and began to shake me. "Are you all right? Bella?"

"Y-You're l-leaving?" My chest heaved as uncontrollable sobs cut off my ability to breathe normally.

Understanding slowly formed in Ary's eyes, and she immediately hugged me. "Bella," she chuckled halfheartedly into my shoulder before pulling away. "I'm coming back."

"W-What?" My eyes rose hopefully.

"I'm just going to Seattle for a few weeks," Ary said and touched my shoulder reassuringly.

"Do you promise?" I wasn't exactly sure why I said it, but I couldn't find it in myself to regret it.

Ary smiled softly as she helped me back up to my feet, and with a resigned sigh, she nodded. "I promise."

Interim II: Erickson McRae

The air flew around me as I maneuvered my body through the lush forest, eyes locked on my prey. The mountain lion, knowing that I was the bigger fish in the pond, skidded across the terrain in a vain escape attempt. With a sadistic chuckle, I crouched and propelled my body across the distance separating us, and wrapped both my arms around the lean muscular cat. The animal squirmed and hissed in my grasp, and with a silent prayer, I bit into the furry exterior of the beast. The blood flowed, hot and fresh, into my mouth, and I couldn't help the laughter that peeled out of me.

Reaping the benefits of a well stalked kill always brought a smile to my face.

As the remainder of the animal's natural nectar flowed into my mouth, I released the lifeless corpse and walked slowly to a nearby tree, dragging my sleeve across my mouth to clean up the excess. Breathing deeply, I squatted on the ground and looked out at the majestic splendor before me. I had somehow found my way to the top of a high cliff overlooking the wide expanse below. Inhaling lightly, I marveled at the crystal clear water, the bright green forests, and the endless gray sky. _Just like Forks._

As my mind retreated to images of the small town, nestled under a blanket of grey clouds, I couldn't help but think about the one radical element in my otherwise flawless existence. _Bella. _Even the thought of her name brought forth an onslaught of emotions and feelings that I thought had died long ago. I ran my palm through my hair and fell backwards, relishing in the dew soaked ground below me. Despite the beauty of the white snow and the green grass, all I could see if brown—chocolate and mahogany.

I sighed and rolled over on my side to stare at the dirt on the ground. _Brown. _My memories danced vividly through my mind, showing me the brief smiles and frequent blushes that made me feel like my heart was beating.

I turned to lay flat on my back, lacing my fingers behind my head for no particular purpose and grinned at the lush canopy above me. A grin stretched across my face as I accurately recalled our first visit to the forest.

"Ah, _mi Bella,_" I whispered and shut my eyes, imagining nothing but her face on the back of my eyelids. The irony of my predicament did not escape me, and I chuckled at the absurdity of it. _Vampire and human…_ _hmm, what a cliché._

A roar in the distance forced me to sit up, and as the forest fled in fear, I laughed. I knew that sound very well; it was Argos. _I'm guessing that right_ _about now he's about to take down Bullwinkle. _

My nose wrinkled as I thought about the moose that he was so fond of. The taste of a moose was about as bland as a common forest deer—but to each his own. In truth, nothing on earth compared to human blood and its elegant texture. I abruptly stopped thinking and shook my head, not wanting to focus on my lack of true sustenance. I had been without human blood for almost two months now, and I refused to let myself want it. _Discipline, Erickson,_ _remember discipline._

I breathed heavily and lifted myself off the forest floor, and started down a winding trail, which would lead me down the side of the cliff. As I dusted the dirt off my black shirt, I briefly noticed the thin scar tracing its way up my wrist, and cursed softly.

As soon as Aryana had returned from driving Bella home, she had wasted no time in attempting to rip my head off—and she almost succeeded. Now, due to her anger, I had quite a number of scars across my body. It took Avarice and his shield to keep her off me. I reached a hand through the back of my shirt, feeling the scar where her teeth had sank into my flesh.

_It's no more than I deserve. _I growled softly and stopped as I remembered the true victim in all of this: Bella. How could I have been such an idiot? Bella was there at my request and what do I do? I bring around one of the most dangerous friends I have. True, it was better that she was there so I could protect her. With her scent all around the property, Rochester would have found her eventually.

_What am I going to do? She probably detests me now._

I shivered as my memory retreated to that fateful night, seeing Bella in his grasp and, for a split second, feeling completely mad with rage. In that moment, I didn't see Bella dangling there in the clutches of a monster; I saw my wife, the one who I couldn't save. My jaw clenched tightly as my mind anxiously looked for the memories of my past, but, like always, I was met with a blank wall. I silently cursed

Lazarus for his ability and ran my hands through the dirt below me, unable to contain the anger that was boiling inside me. As I trembled with pure raw emotion, I lifted myself off the ground and became an instant blur.

The wind felt nice against my skin and, as I inhaled, the air filtered into my lungs and I was aware of every scent in the area. As the wet earth moved beneath me, I altered my direction as a new aroma caught my attention. Just a few feet in front of me, I spotted a larger animal, one more delicious

than the previous mountain lion. A gigantic Grizzly bear.

The animal within me burst free, and, with a loud snarl, I soared through the distance separating us. This was what I loved about my existence. As I closed in on my meal, I could see every detail of every object that I passed, the simple bark shavings that clung to the trees, the tiny droplets of dew that saturated the tips of the grass. I could see their clarity and beauty without even trying.

My mind redirected just in time to force all my weight onto the grizzly, sending the surprised creature and I tumbling down a steep incline. At any time I could have planted my feet and stopped, but this was too much fun. The bear's anxious grunts made me chuckle and, after I had satisfied my humor, I dug my feet into the moist earth and came to a halt. The bear continued to barrel towards the small valley below and, after he had came to a crashing stop, he roared angrily. He stumbled to his feet and glanced around, not having enough reasoning skills to look where he had fallen. Seizing the opportunity, I propelled my body towards him again, mouth open and ready.

An hour later, I was in precisely the same spot the bear had been grazing in, flat on my back with a wide smile spread across my face. There was nothing better than a cool breeze, no disturbances for miles, and a stomach full of sustenance. I stretched my arms needlessly and adjusted myself so I could better see the stars, which were peeking at me through the canopy of branches and foliage.

Taking a deep breath, I groaned internally as I smelled the rough, woodsy odor of my older brother and lifted off the forest floor to greet him properly. Argos and I never quite got along, that much was certain, and it was especially tense when we were alone. His displeasure with my previous exploits was no doubt prevalent, and my scorn of his judgmental attitude knew no bounds.

His loud, thundering footsteps closed in on me, slowing their pace and becoming a rhythmic symphony. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for the awkward silent treatment I was about to endure. After all these years, I should have been used to the narrowed eye stares and silent threats, but they had never gotten old.

Argos appeared suddenly, his movement blurred by his quick speed, and I cringed at his outward appearance. I preferred to dine with grace and dignity, as did the others of my family—except Argos. As he passed, barely acknowledging me with the exception of a head nod, he made no attempt to hide the fact that his clothes were torn and dripping with animal blood. Whenever he phased into his gigantic bear-man thing, his clothes were automatically ripped.

"Argos," I muttered in acknowledgement, which earned me a sideways glance from the giant. After being in the wild for the past couple of days, I needed someone to talk to—even if that someone was my brother. "Was your hunt successful?"

Argos turned over his shoulder, eyebrows raised high on his forehead, and stared at me for a few seconds. I was just about convinced he wasn't going to speak, when suddenly he sighed and muttered, "It was."

My frown pulled up on one side, forming a half grin, and I nodded my head at him. "Good."

"And you?" Argos said hesitantly, without looking at me.

"Very well, thank you," I smiled without looking at him. "Should we head out then?"

"I suppose," he grunted and turned over his shoulder again to sneer at me. "I suppose you wish to get back to your human."

"Argos," I warned with a growl, "don't."

"Come now, Erickson," he laughed sarcastically, his Romanian accent saturating every syllable. "Can you honestly tell me that this is no different than your previous exploits?"

"Yes!" I demanded with a hiss and pushed myself off the ground. "I can." He leered at me menacingly, expanding his body to his full height. If I was being honest, I was very intimidated by my brother, but, unlike Ary, he was not well known for his temper. So, with this knowledge, I approached him

with an angry glare. "You think I can't change, don't you?" I asked with a hateful tone.

"You have yet to," he sighed with the same disparaging grin, which angered me to no end.

"All right." I glared at him, once again offended by his words, and crossed my arms over my chest. "Then tell me how I can improve."

Argos's head jerked back in surprise, and his entire face lit up with awe at my suggestion. In the past, I would usually go off on a tangent, saying how he should mind his own business and such, but now I was asking for his ideas. He was thoroughly taken aback and, after a few moments of silence, I prodded him some more.

"Well, come on, brother," I spat the word at him bitterly. "You seem to know enough to criticize me—tell me what I can do to change."

With a deep breath, he took two steps forward and huffed. "You can start by not singling out Bella."

"Singling her out?" I exclaimed in a mix of confusion and humor before laughing. "How on Earth am I doing that?"

"Your advances are making her uncomfortable," Argos said seriously and added, "Everyone can see it."

I shuffled a bit, taking in what he said, and thought back to our meetings and exchanges. I had never seen any sign of discomfort or dislike in her posture, what was Argos talking about?

"Aryana has made it obvious that Bella has been through…quite a lot," Argos continued and his voice grew progressively stronger. "She won't be won over that easily."

"And you know this?" I scoffed and turned my back on him, trying to avoid the fact that he was more than likely right.

"Yes," he acknowledged and moved quickly to stand in front of me. "You have not been human for a very long time, Erickson. Perhaps, you've forgotten how to romance a woman."

My eyebrows rose to a high arch as my brother insinuated that I, Erickson McRae, was unable of romancing a woman. My head cocked to the side with an arrogant smile, and I couldn't help the egotistical laugh and expression that overtook me.

"Not only have I not forgotten, Argos," I said coolly and approached him. "I have gained even more knowledge of the timeless art." As he tried to speak, I cut him off by turning and walking away. "You say Bella's different—I will not contest that—but I will prove to you that I am different."

Argos snorted. "This should be interesting."


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: ****The Date**

The days following Ary's great reveal were surprisingly relaxing. It seemed that, since she had divulged another of her secrets, Ary was more open around me. Any question I had about Lazarus, she would happily answer, but I kept the questions infrequent, knowing it still hurt her to talk about him. The following afternoon I was able to learn a few more things about his ability.

"So, Avarice said that his brother is telekinetic," I said over the lunch table. "Is that true?"

"No," Ary rolled her eyes while she ate her meal of bloody meat. As she chewed she seemed to mull over my question before answering. "Well, not exactly anyway. He's more of a mind controller than a telekinetic. I've never seen him move an inanimate object with his mind, but that doesn't negate the possibility that he could."

"A mind controller?" I quirked an eyebrow at her, curious to know more. The only vampire gifts I had experienced so far were Edward's mind reading—which never worked on me—Alice's clairvoyance, Jasper's empathic ability, and, recently, Avarice's shielding capabilities.

Ary nodded and took a deep breath, hearing and talking about Lazarus still caused her discomfort, but quickly regained her composure and continued. "He can control others and even hypnotize them."

"Wow." I chuckled softly, remembering when I had turned twelve and Renee had taken me to visit a hypnotist comedian. "That sounds interesting."

"It's definitely useful," Ary said, not looking up from her meal. "There are times when we don't want certain individuals remembering they've met us."

"Huh?"

Ary raised her eyebrows and grimaced a little bit, probably realizing that she'd said too much, but with a hesitant sigh she continued. "You've heard of hypnotists that can help a person diet or make someone forget their own family, right?" I nodded. The comedian I saw made a woman from the audience forget that she was human. My mother and I had giggled as the poor lady clucked around like a chicken. "Lazarus can do something similar, only it's much more permanent."

"How does he do it?" I gawked at Ary, recalling what Avarice had said about many fearing Lazarus for his ability. Who wouldn't be scared of someone who could instantly take away every memory you ever had?

"It's not like he actually removes the memories," she said in a hushed tone as a few of my friends walked by our table. Jessica Stanley rolled her eyes and continued walking beside Mike. Once they were out of hearing range, Ary raised her volume a bit. "It's more like he locks certain memories in a person's subconscious. I don't completely understand it myself."

We dropped the subject, even though I wanted to know more about it, and fell into a conversation about the local _humans. _According to Ary, Tyler had taken an extreme interest in her and made no attempt to hide it. I stifled a chuckle, while Ary gave a detailed explanation of Tyler's babbling attempt to ask her out, and was about to give my own history with Tyler when Ary's facial expression changed.

"Here he comes," she said and wiggled her eyebrows at me suggestively.

I followed her gaze, my eyebrows pulling together in confusion, and spied the reason for the humored look on her face. Eric was walking across the cafeteria, heading straight for us. My face flushed brightly and a flock of butterflies materialized in my stomach, making me wonder if I missed him more than I thought I did. The presence of Erickson McRae was not unwanted by any means, but it did bring about a lot of confusion. As he approached the table, I waited for his

hungry eyes to pour over my body—as they normally did—but was taken aback when he hardly acknowledged me.

A soft pang of insecurity rushed through me. _Did I do something wrong? _My thoughts flew back to his birthday and I couldn't help but wonder if hewas disturbed about the events of that night. Although Ary had reassuredme that he was not angry, I could shake the suspicion that I had upsethim.

"Welcome home, brother," Dante called, his voice pulling me from my thoughts, and rose to his feet. The two McRaes embraced each other roughly before Eric forced Dante into a playful headlock. They growled until Dante called out, "Yield!"

"Erickson." Ary nodded her head and he mirrored the action.

"Aryana," he said, smiling broadly, before shifting his eyes to me. "Good afternoon, Bella. It's good to see you."

His eyes sparkled, now a light shade of gold, and his genuine smile was warm and inviting. This was, needless to say, very different. Without saying anything more, he took a seat next to me and began sharing stories of the hunt with Dante. His new actions, barely paying attention to me and not staring at me like I was a piece of meat, surprised me and, as I looked over at Ary, I noticed they surprised her too.

"Don't look now," Dante said to Ary with a soft chuckle, "but your knight is on his way over."

"Oh, dear god," Ary grumbled and slouched, letting her head fall onto her waiting hands.

I looked inquisitively at Dante but, before he could answer, he was cut off be an unexpected peppy voice. "Hey guys!"

I turned over my shoulder and almost grimaced when I saw Tyler standing over us, giving Ary an exuberant grin. One glance at her told me that Ary wanted to rip his head off. Her eyes were narrowed and staring daggers into the table, while her hands were gripping the base of her chair.

"Hi, Aryana," Tyler gushed and crossed his arms over his chest. When she didn't respond, his posture spoke his discomfort and he tried his best to cover it up. "So how about this rain, huh?"

This definitely made me grimace, and, before he could embarrass himself anymore, I took pity on him. "Yeah, I think Forks might have a record for rainfall." I said with a sympathizing grin.

"Oh, hey Bella," Tyler said with a surprised tone, like he hadn't noticed me sitting there. However, I saw his face light up with an epiphany and, before I could wonder what it was about, he spoke again. "I was actually going to tell you, we're thinking of planning a hiking trip in La Push and I wanted to invite you all."

My eyes widened, remembering how Edward had dodged the invite to La Push due to the treaty with the Quileutes. My eyes panned around the table, curious now if they had any truce with the tribe, but was met with blank stares. My brow furrowed as I tried to come up with the best excuse possible, but was cut off.

"Sounds fun," Ary muttered beside me.

"Great!" Tyler gushed and turned back to me. "We're meeting at Newton's shop at noon this Saturday."

"Okay," I said and attempted to smile, despite my confusion. Why had Ary agreed to go to La Push despite the Quileutes? _Maybe the Quileutes_ _don't know about the McRaes._

With a peppy grin and an extra hitch in his step, Tyler retreated to the group of curious spectators. I chuckled softly as my old group of friends waited in anticipation for Tyler's return. My attention returned back to Ary before I had a chance to see what their response was.

"Ary, what are you doing?" I asked and narrowed my eyes.

"The only way to get the humans off our backs is to act normal," she sighed and gave me an agonizing expression. "Believe me, Bella, I'd rather rip my own skin off than spend the afternoon with that blabbering idiot, but this will keep the speculation off us."

"But, what about the Quileutes?" I asked as I glanced around the table only to be met with the same empty stares as before. "They don't exactly approve of vampires on their land."

"You mean that tribe off the coast?" Eric asked and raised his eyebrows curiously. "They won't be a problem."

"Are you sure?" I asked, still not convinced. If the Cullens had to make a truce with them, then maybe there was something the McRaes should be worried about. My brow indented heavily as I tried to think of some way to convince them to be on their guard.

"Bella," Ira's crisp voice called me and I raised my eyes to meet hers. "You don't have to worry about us. Everything will be fine."

With a hesitant nod, I watched the McRaes fall back into their conversations. To be honest, I had no idea how the Quileutes had been able to keep the Cullens off their land. Vampires were pretty much the strongest creatures on the planet, if they wanted to kill the entire tribe they could have. I knew that they would never do such a thing; they weren't heartless monsters. However, I couldn't shake this feeling that there was a reason they would not step foot on the tribe's land.

"Bella." My deep contemplations were once again disrupted, but this time it was by Eric. I shifted my gaze and found him staring at me with a curious expression. "I was wondering if I could ask you something."

"Of course," I said with a small smile.

"Would you… " he broke off the sentence and laughed before continuing, "like to spend some time with me on Friday?"

"Spend some time with you?" I wasn't exactly sure what he was asking. Did he mean like a date or did he mean something else?

"Would you like to spend Friday evening with me?" He clarified as I was dissecting his words mentally. "I was thinking of heading to Port Angeles and would like some company."

I was in complete awe of Eric's change of attitude. The way he gazed at me reminded me so much of…

"Sure," I spoke quickly to cut off the rising pain associated with Edward's memory, however I didn't regret agreeing to it. A wave of excitement and confidence flowed through me as Eric made an arrangement to pick me up on Friday at seven.

"Oh, and Bella?" Eric said as the bell signaled the end of the lunch hour. "Don't eat before I pick you up."

"Um, all right," I agreed, thoroughly confused. Eric and I had extremely different tastes when it came to food, so I could only wonder why he didn't want me to eat. As he disappeared into the rising crowd, I turned, face flushed crimson, to find Ary stifling a laugh. "What?"

"I am not leaving for Seattle until Sunday," she said and almost fell out of her chair laughing.

"Why?" I asked and narrowed my eyes. Ary had told me that it was important that she leave on Thursday night—what had changed?

"This will be priceless," she said as she picked up her messenger bag. "I've never seen Erickson go on an actual date before."

I sighed heavily, a little annoyed that she found so much enjoyment in my awkwardness, and picked up my backpack. "I'm so glad we amuse you," I grumbled and fell in line beside her as we navigated our way to Anatomy. "You know this isn't going to be easy for me."

She glanced at me and smirked. "I have faith in you, Bella."

Her words gave me a small boost of confidence, which I needed, and I smiled a little. Over the past week, I had come to realize two things: Erickson McRae was not Edward…and that was looking better every day. Just like the time leading up to Eric's birthday party, the days ticked by quickly and, before I could catch up, it was my last class on Friday. I walked through the halls without truly acknowledging my surroundings or the few people who said hi to me. My mind was completely obsessed with my coming evening with Eric, and yet, I could assuage the thoughts of Edward.

The memories associated with Edward and Port Angeles were still fresh with pain and torture, something I found out quickly. The pain I felt, when I thought of the Cullens, had seemed a little less these days, so I reveled in a chance to think of Edward. Unfortunately, the festering hole was ripped open and nearly forced a scream from me in the middle of English.

I shook my head, trying to clear the unpleasant memory from my thoughts, as I made my way across the parking lot to my truck. Mike ran past me, almost knocking me over, and caught up with Tyler and Jessica on the other side of the lot. A small smile traced across my chin as I thought of Tyler's newfound infatuation with my best friend.

_How can I get out of this hiking trip? _I knew deep down, if the McRaes stepped onto the Quileutes' land, there would be hell to pay. However, despite my concerns, all the McRaes had dismissed my worry saying that everything would be fine. They reminded me so much of the Cullens when James was involved. I was incredibly worried about the family getting hurt in some way, but they laughed at my fears.

My eyes squinted shut and I gripped the steering wheel as the liquid fire moved through my body with rapid speed. With a few shallow breaths, I turned the key and my truck roared to life—scaring those within a ten yard radius. The loud bang was enough to break my concentration and, as my face flushed from all the bewildered looks of the other students, I felt the pain start to numb. With a sigh of relief, I headed home.

Once I was home, I had the arduous task of picking an outfit to wear. Turning hesitantly, I stared at my closet like some alien creature and opened the door. My clothes hung harmlessly in the space, and yet they looked like a horde of blood thirsty vampires to me. I had zero experience when it came to dressing myself.

I pulled out a few hopefuls and laid them on my bed before heading off to the bathroom for a shower. Lingering a little too long, I pulled myself out of the tub and, after drying my hair, it was back to the difficult task of picking the perfect outfit.

After trying all of them on two times, I decided to go with a red top that I had always like, jeans, and my heavy jacket—seeing as it was just above freezing outside. The alarm clock across the room told me that I had about half an hour before Eric would arrive.

As I stared outside, tapping my foot anxiously, I noticed the empty parking spot next to my old truck. I silently thanked my good luck that Charlie had to work late. After the awkward dinner with Ary, I had made a solid vow not to introduce any of the McRaes to Charlie. Besides, if he knew I was going on a date then he'd give Eric the third degree.

I guess I couldn't really blame Charlie for his newfound protective nature, given everything that happened with the Cullens leaving. The last thing either one of us wanted was another episode to reoccur. I still wasn't one hundred percent sure about these feelings I had for Eric, it was all so confusing. True, there was a part of me who longed for the same relationship I had with Edward, in spite of the false belief surrounding it. After all, Edward had claimed that I was _his love and his life _and yet he took no hesitation in leaving me behind.

With a disgruntled exhalation, I forced myself out of my room and downstairs, thinking a little television might calm my nerves a bit. As I settled down into the sofa, I couldn't stop my eyes from panning over to the reclining chair which had once held Edward. The hole in my chest began to sear and I promptly flipped on the television.

Since my father was the only one who used the TV, the first show that popped up was the sports network. I grasped the remote and flipped through the channels, finally resting on a cooking show. The sight of the warm pastries, fresh from the oven, made my stomach groan a little bit. My mind wandered to thoughts of a cereal bar in the kitchen cabinet, but I remembered Eric had requested that I not eat beforehand.

The cooking show ended and, just as I was about to channel surf again, there was a knock at the door. A flurry of butterflies, moths, and any other flying insect inside invaded my stomach as I stood up from the couch. My heart was pounding in my chest and, with a deep breath, I opened the door.

A perfect smile and flawless face greeted me, somehow relaxing part of my nervousness, and I grinned in return. Eric looked like the definition of debonair; his shoulder length hair was secured behind his head in a neat fashion, his clothes looked brand new, and he smelled wonderful.

"Good evening, _mi Bella_," he said softly and leaned against the door frame. His smile broadened, making his eyes tighten, which caused a shiver to run through me. "Are you ready?"

"Uh, yeah." I shook my head as his perfection made me a little disoriented for a bit. "Hold on, let me get my coat."

Once I moved deeper into my house, I took a deep breath to clear my head and grabbed my coat from the couch. As I pulled it on, I felt a soft breeze hit my neck and, as I turned around, I jumped when I found Eric standing behind me.

"Oh," I exclaimed and brought my hand to my chest, feeling my heartbeat increase even more. "You startled me."

"I'm sorry," he smiled apologetically and took a step back.

"It's okay," I replied and moved forward, grinning.

We both stood there for a moment, him staring at me and me looking at anything but him. With a soft chuckle, he took a step back and gestured for me to lead the way. Smiling, and silently hoping that I wouldn't embarrass myself, we were out the door.

The drive to Port Angeles was pleasant and surprisingly refreshing. I was a little worried about what I was going to say to Eric, but he surprised me by keeping steady control of the conversation at all times. He told me about the exotic places he and the family had traveled to and all the people they had come into contact with.

"She didn't!" I gasped when Eric told me that Ary had had a run in with Napoleon that was quite memorable. "What did he think of her?"

"The same as everyone else," he chuckled and threw me a dazzling smile, which made a tingle course through me. "He lusted after her, until he saw her dark side."

I was wrought with curiosity, knowing that I had never seen Ary transform, and immediately began probing Eric for more information. "So, what's she like? You know, when she transforms?"

He chuckles and threw me a pointed glance. "You mean," he said as he made the turn off into Port Angeles, "you want to know why she won't let you see her transform."

I lowered my head sheepishly, not realizing that my question had been so transparent, and glanced at Eric through my eyelashes. He was chuckling, obviously humored by my expression.

"Bella," he said without looking at me, still wearing a smile though. "It's all right for you to be curious. I'd be greatly disturbed if you weren't interested in that side of Aryana."

"Mmm," I hummed a response, not sure what to say to that, and looked down at my hands.

"But, to answer that question," he continued as he traveled down the main road in Port Angeles, looking for something, "when she transforms, it's very disorienting for her; she had a tendency of lashing out."

"Lashing out?" I raised my eyebrows.

"The first time she changed in front of Lazarus," Eric cringed slightly, "she nearly killed him."

My breath hitched and I fell silent, realizing exactly what Eric had said. The reason I wasn't able to see her change was because it was

dangerous. Her attack on Lazarus definitely explained the reason she got so upset when I asked to see her change. She didn't want me to get hurt; that caring gesture made me feel warm inside.

"We're here," Eric mused happily, shaking me from my stupor, and before I could look around, he was holding my door open.

"And where is here?" I asked as I stood up and took in the surrounding. We were standing in front of an exquisite looking restaurant with a sign that read: _C'est Si Bon._

"This is rumored to be one of the best restaurants outside of Seattle," Eric smiled and shut the car door before placing his hand lightly on my waist, which forced a bright blush from me. "Of course, I'm not much of a critic, but I'm sure they'd love to hear your opinion."

My thoughts immediately went to my wallet, which was sitting on my desk at home, and I cringed. I didn't want to assume that Eric was paying, so I pulled away from him. "Um, Eric," I mumbled, and twiddled my fingers. "I don't think I can afford this place."

He laughed heartily. "You haven't been on a date in awhile, have you?" I shook my head. "Good, neither have I."

I smirked to cover the grimace that inadvertently spread across my face. Rochester's words rang crisp and clear in my head, trying to convince me that I was at risk of joining a list of distractions. As Eric guided me into the lavish restaurant, I pushed the annoying voice to my subconscious and tried to focus on having a good time.

The Maître d' eyed my clothes with a condescending smirk before speaking to Eric. "I'm sorry sir," he said in a snooty French accent. "But we have a strict dress code."

My stomach lurched and I immediately hated my taste in clothes. I should have dressed a bit nicer, slacks instead of jeans, maybe then I would have gotten by. My apologetic eyes caught Eric's and he gave me a smile I didn't quite understand.

"Actually, we have a private dining reservation," Eric responded firmly and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him, causing heat to sweep through my face like a wildfire. "And, if I'm right, your dress code is not enforced on private dining. Is that correct?"

"Your name, sir?" The man asked with an inclined eyebrow. I assumed he thought that Eric was bluffing and he was going to catch him in a lie.

"McRae, Erickson," he said with a soft smile.

The man flipped open a book arrogantly, and, after a few seconds, his back shot up straight as an arrow. "My apologies, Mr. McRae," he said in earnest and offered me a sickeningly sweet smile. "Please follow me."

We were escorted through a twin set of elegant French-style doors and into a small room, illuminated by dim lights and dozens of candles. My eyes widened in awe and, as we took a seat at the small table at the center of the room, a soft violin began playing in the far corner of the room. I turned over my shoulder to see a very sophisticated stereo system, with speakers on every corner of the room.

"Eric, this is…" I couldn't stop my eyes from searching throughout the entire room. There was so much to see; there were exquisite paintings, architecture, and statues that caught my attention. Eric chuckled softly and, when I turned back to him, he was smiling softly at me. "You didn't have to do this."

"Yes, I did." His head tilted sideways.

As the blush crept over my entire face, my hand came up to try and mask it. Finding it impossible to stare at Eric, without my face erupting into a tomato patch, I looked around some more at my surroundings. "Wow, this is…surreal."

"I'm glad you're enjoying it, _mi Bella,_" he said and leaned forward, his eyes caught the light and began to sparkle. "So, what are you in the mood for?"

I stared at him blankly, hypnotized by his appearance. "Excuse me?"

He smiled. "What would you like to eat?"

"Oh."

The food was exquisite—Cornish Game Hen with mushroom stuffing and whipped red potatoes—and the music was enchanting. Then there was the company, which was needless to say perfect. Eric didn't eat the food, of course, but he provided me with endless entertainment while I devoured the delicious meal. He regaled me with many more tales of the McRae family, including the history of Ira and Dante.

"Wait." I stopped him after hearing that Ira had been turned by a mysterious stranger. "So, she didn't know who he was?"

"Exactly, kind of creepy, isn't it?" He grimaced and continued his story.

"When she awoke from the change, she attacked several of the house workers, and ended up accidentally changing her Uncle, who was taking care of her."

"Wow." I briefly wondered what it would be like if I was changed. Would I suffer the same fate as the others? Condemned to a savage existence of blood and violence? "So, how did Dante play into this?"

"As most love-struck youths do," Eric said inhaled deeply. "He was brought to Ira's Uncle to work, and, once he and Ira met, it was love at first bite."

I choked instantly on my food, trying to sustain my laughter at the witty pun, and reached for my water. After I had cleared my throat, I smiled and shook my head. Eric grinned at me and looked somewhat accomplished, but his face changed quickly with the music.

"It's a shame to let this music go to waste, don't you think?" He raised his eyebrows and stood up, letting his body unfurl and extend to his glorious height.

Despite my success at Eric's party, I didn't want to risk my luck. "I don't know, Eric."

He sighed and, as I raised my eyes to him, I noticed his face melt into a mischievous smirk. "My dear," he said and I jerked my head back, startled at the new name. Usually it was either Bella or _mi Bella_, this was different. He took a step towards me and, in a blur, materialized by my side. "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way."

My eyes widened but quickly narrowed. Just what did he expect was going to happen? Did he think I was simply going to give in? I stood up and threw my napkin at him, playfully, and raised my eyebrows in a challenging manner.

That was a mistake.

Eric lowered his head, looking up at me through his eyelashes, and, as his chest heaved, a low rumble came from his throat. I took a step back, feeling the familiarity of this wash through me and, before I could stop him, Eric fell into a crouch, which made this whole scenario far too similar to another.

I felt the blood rush from my face and all the strength I had left my body, sending me toppling to the floor. My ears were deaf to the sounds of Eric's frantic voice and my eyes were blind to anything except the harsh memories of my past.

I could see Edward, as clear as day, playfully leaping at me after I said I wasn't scare of him. It was foolish to think that I had moved past this in anyway. The deep wound in my chest jumped to life and sent wave after wave of agonizing pain throughout my body, leaving me paralyzed.

Despite the torture I was submitting to, I couldn't help the overwhelming horror I felt when I thought of what Eric must think of me. I was so positive that, when I got up, he would simply drive me home and never speak to me again, I was surprised when I heard his voice in my ear. I immediately recognized the beautiful lyrics as the song he had sung in the woods—the first time I had a break down in front of him. Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply and, as he continued to sing, the pain and sorrow within me began to vanish.

"_Mi mancherai, perche vai via_?" Unlike the last time he sang, his voice was no higher than a soft whisper, and his breath sent a tingle down my skin, forcing goose bumps to arise. _"Perche l'amore in te si é spento."_

I took a deep breath and, after gathering as much courage as I could, I lifted myself off the ground. My face was red hot and I quivered nervously as my eyes found his. Much to my surprise, he didn't look concerned, wary, or desperate; he looked hauntingly calm and understanding.

"I'm so sorry, Eric," I mumbled and tried to find my footing, only to discover my strength had not returned yet. A groan of frustration seeped out of me but, as I tried again, I felt a soft touch on my arms. I stopped and shifted to face Eric, who had his arm around my shoulders.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Bella," he said and brought his arm away from me so he could cup my face. "You suffer, I can see it, but it's not your fault."

My head lowered to the floor. His words were so kind and compassionate, a side of Eric I had never seen before, and, without thinking about it, two tears ran down my cheeks. I suddenly found myself completely enveloped in his arms, inhaling deeply, intoxicated by his scent. He smelled so different than Edward, but it wasn't a bad thing.

My hands snaked up around his neck, feeling his chest heave as our skin made contact, and relished in the chilly sensation. Before moving to Forks, I detested the rain and the cold, now it was all I clung to. In a matter of seconds, I had all but wrapped myself around him, holding his frigid body so close I could feel my heart beat sending rhythms through him. His aroma became stronger and soon my head was reeling.

"I'm dizzy," I muttered absentmindedly.

I felt him nod and my feet were lifted off the ground. I turned my head, looking to see where we were headed, only to see the door open. The night sky was cloudy but the wind was fresh and clean, which instantly filled my lungs.

Eric placed me on the ground but his hands did not leave my torso; they stayed, wrapped around my waist securely. My cheeks flushed warmly at his touch, but, for once, I didn't pull away. Even when he shifted his body to face me, I didn't contest it. I knew what I was doing.

I inhaled slowly and met his gaze again, relishing in the light yellow color of his eyes, and, with a careful approach, he brought his lips to mine. And I did not deny him.

Our lips met with a soft touch but quickly increased to a quickened frenzy as he pulled me against his solid form, and I knotted my fingers in his long hair. His hand traced my spine slowly, before finding my neck and caressing it. My tongue inadvertently darted out and he met it with his own, massaging and pushing it in tiny circles. The flock of insects in my stomach returned, causing a soft whimper to escape my lips, before I was plunged back into the passionate exchange with Eric.

His breath was fiery ice on my lips, and I hungered for me. Leaning in, he tightened his grip on me and lifted me off my feet. I felt completely weightless in his arms, and, for once, I felt a little bit more whole.

Without thinking, I opened my mouth to call out his name, to tell him how much I wanted to be close to him. Unfortunately, my mind was no longer on my side, and the second I uttered the word, I knew I was in trouble. "Oh, Edward."

Eric's body went rigid and he pulled away inhumanly fast, materializing four feet away from me, chest heaving and eyes wild with a mixture of lust and anger.

My mouth dropped open and I covered it with my mouth. What had I done? I had been thinking of Eric the entire time, even when I said Edward. My stomach lurched and my heart ached as Eric's face melted from anger to a familiar expression.

"Oh, god, Eric I…" I choked out as my chest heaved. Eric lowered his eyes, his face filled with an emotion I knew too well—rejection. "Please, let me explain."

"It's all right," he whispered without looking at me, and after a few silent moments he lifted his gaze. "But, it's getting late, maybe we…should go."

My bottom lip quivered and I felt the tears about ready to start pouring. I swallowed the lump in my throat, letting my head fall into my hands. A split second later I felt something slightly heavy hit my shoulders, I looked up and noticed that Eric had retrieved my coat for me.

"Come on, Bella," he said, smiling weakly, as his eyes flickered randomly to and from my face. I nodded and let him escort me back to the car, already dreading the long ride home.


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: ****The Hike**

"I don't want to talk about it," I grumbled in a diminished tone to Ary, whom I had found sitting in my rocking chair when I got home. After making a fool out of myself during dinner with Eric, the last thing I needed was Ary poking fun at my misery. So, when she pleaded for details, I gave her a definitive "no."

The last thing I wanted was to live through the past few hours of my life. My biggest fear was that I would have a meltdown and embarrass myself. Not only did I do that, but I managed to damage the evening, without any chance of salvaging it, by calling Eric 'Edward'. An angry groan slipped through my lips as I thought about it even more.

"Oh, come on," Ary pleaded as I shook off my jacket and hung it in the closet, wincing as I caught Eric's elegant scent still clinging to the fabric. When I turned around, she was a few feet from me, smiling in a beseeching manner. "Please?"

I stalked over to my bed and, before shoving a pillow over my head, hissed, "No."

I just wanted to crawl into a hole and never appear again. The way Eric had looked, when he dropped me off, was enough to shatter me; he was dejected and completely disappointed.

"Why not?" Ary lifted the pillow away from my face and gave me a sideways grin.

"Because you'll make fun of me," I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest and turned my head sideways, so I couldn't look at her. I remembered how she had poked fun at us going on a date to begin with, I somehow knew she'd find humor in my suffering.

With a heavy sigh, Ary laid her body beside me, so my brown eyes met her bright blue ones. "As your friend, Bella, I'll be as understanding as you need me to be."

I chewed softly on my bottom lip, debating on whether I should break my resolute attitude and divulge the embarrassing events of the night. Ary had always appeared to make light of my issues, however she was also my best friend. She and I had already confided in each other so much, it would be pointless to stop now. So, with a hesitant sigh, I opened up.

"Eric and I kissed tonight," I said slowly and Ary nodded, indicating that I continue. "I accidently called him Edward." I immediately lowered my eyes, ashamed by my own actions and felt a hot flush run across my cheeks.

When my gaze rose, I rolled my eyes and propped myself up in an angry huff.

Ary was trying her hardest to suppress the obvious laughter building up inside of her. Her eyes were closed tight, her lips were buckled, and her body was heaving due to the silent chuckles. My irritation inflamed as I watched her roll from side to side. After a solid minute of her silent revelry, I finally cracked.

"Oh, will you just let it out already?" I demanded and crossed my arms tightly at my chest.

Ary, taking my advice willingly, rolled off the bed and hit the ground with a surprisingly _thump. _She appeared unfazed by the fall though, then began laughing hysterically and kicking the ground softly. Her golden chuckles were infectious and I found it impossible to stay upset while she writhed on the floor.

Ary sat up after a few additional moments, and inhaled deeply, before looking up at me. "Oh, that's awkward."

"You think?" I asked with arched eyebrows and let my head fall into my hands. "I'm so embarrassed; I can't believe I did that to him."

With a fluid grace, Ary pressed her hands on the ground and was instantly standing upright. She sighed and shook her head at me. "Bella, believe me, Eric's not mad at you."

"How do you know?" I asked, insinuating that she had yet to see her brother. _If she's been waiting for me to get home, how does she know_ _he's not mad?_

"Because I know my brother." She gave me a pointed stare before continuing. "Look, I'm positive his pride's hurting right now, and, to be honest, he deserves it."

"But I don't want his pride to be hurt," I griped and rubbed my temples, feeling a headache beginning to form. Eric had been so wonderful since he'd come back from his hunting trip with Argos; he'd started treating me like a person instead of a piece of meat, and he went out of his way to arrange the perfect date. I heaved a sigh and let myself sink back into my depression, knowing that he had every right to be mad at me.

"Bella." Ary's voice surprised me by taking a sharp turn, and when I glanced up, she was looking at me sternly. "You have no idea how much irony Eric's feeling right now. I feel no shame in admitting he's probably done the same thing to other humans in the past. He's getting a taste of his own medicine, and he doesn't like it."

I said nothing in response, only nodded my head in acknowledgement. Nothing Ary was saying was having any positive effect on my mood, and I think it was apparent on my face, because she exhaled heavily before resting her hands on my shoulders.

"You did nothing wrong." Her blue eyes looked sad and pleading as she stared at me. "If Eric thinks that all the demons of your past can be assuaged with one date—then he's a bigger idiot than I thought he was."

Edward's face inadvertently floated into my mind, and a sharp stabbing pain followed soon after, as the hole ripped open wider than in a long time. I sucked in a mouthful of breath, and gripped my stomach tightly, just before my vision went blurry. Despite the agonizing torture, Edward's smiling visage stayed permanently pressed in the front of my mind, glowing more brilliant with each passing second.

With a sigh of resignation, I let myself be overcome with the pain, loneliness, and longing—just so I could spend a little time with what was left of Edward.

_It'll be like I never existed._

A dark chuckle slipped through my lips while I reveled in the absurdity of his statement. Edward was foolish if he thought I would succumb and forget him with the passage of time. I could see my future without needing Alice; I would spend my life loving Edward until the day I died. That was quickly becoming a certainty.

My image of Edward became muddled, like someone running their hand through calm water, and, before I could make an attempt to find him again, another image replaced it.

An equally handsome, smiling face took Edward's place, and I was only aware of the absence of pain. The ache in my chest was dull. All that

remained of the pain was a few twinges, which were dissipating quickly. As I stared at Eric in my thoughts, a smile spread across my face.

"Are you all right?" I jumped and yelped a little, having forgotten that Ary was still there, and was immediately embarrassed for zoning out in front of my friend. She had come clean that she basically did the same thing, about her estranged husband Lazarus, but I wasn't sure if that entitled me to go off whenever I felt like it.

"Yeah," I muttered and lowered my head. "Sorry."

"Nothing to apologize for." Ary shook her head but then glanced outside with a distant look. "I really should be going though. I wanted to talk with you before I left, but I've idled for far too long."

"Before you…what?"

She hung her head sheepishly and nodded, looking at me through her eyelashes. The light from the window caught her eyes, and they began to glow a dim blue. A shiver ran through me and I diverted my eyes, not wanting anymore memories to surface.

"I have to leave earlier than expected, Bella." Her entire face cringed as she said this, and I couldn't help suspect she didn't want to leave at all, but was forced to. "Certain events have forced me to."

"What events?" I quirked an eyebrow at her.

"It's not important," she said and rose from the bed, no emotion betraying her voice.

I rolled my eyes and huffed a little bit, agitated by the continuous vague answers she gave me. "Typical Ary answer."

She paused and turned over her shoulder, giving me a soft smile, before heading to the open window. After crouching on the ground, she propelled forward through the open window and into the dead of night. I was immediately on my feet, running to the window to get a last glimpse of her. However, as I looked into the darkness, all I could make out were the eerie shadows of the forest around me. I sighed with disappointment, feeling the loneliness began to crash around me, and shut the window.

My alarm chirped loudly, rousing me from a deep slumber, and I rubbed my eyes angrily. The sun was barely on the horizon, slipping a casual amount of light in on my bedroom. The chill of the night was still clinging to the inside of the room, and I shuddered while moving to the closet.

I groaned internally, while slipping on my clothes, thinking about the awkward torture I was being subjected to. Why on Earth had Ary agreed to hang out with my human friends? Moreover, why had she bailed on me last minute? With her around, I would at least have someone who I actually had something in common with to talk to.

Jessica and I, though we got along, never really had much in common. We had been semi-close when I had first started school in Forks, but I had a sneaking suspicion that it was only because she wanted a popularity boost. Jessica had recently been spending vast amounts of time with Lauren, or so I suspected, because I had seen them walking and giggling more and more. It didn't bother me; despite her hating me, Lauren filled a place that I never could.

After I changed and moved to the bathroom, I couldn't help but wonder if I would be subjected to this trip alone. After all, some of the other McRaes would be subjected to this trip alone. After all, some of the other McRaes had appeared to agree with Ary. Maybe, I wouldn't be in this thing alone. Even if Ira and Dante, the two I talked to the least, were there then I'd feel better.

After an hour or so, I headed out into cloudy, surprisingly rainless weather. There was an icy touch to the wind, and as it blew harder, I quickened my step to get to my truck. I briefly appraised the empty space beside my truck in the driveway. Charlie had still been gone by the time Eric dropped me off last night, and I couldn't help but wonder where he was.

I knew he'd worry if he came home and found me missing, so I pulled a piece of paper from my glove box and scribbled a note for him. Five minutes later, with the message on the door and my truck properly warmed up, I headed over to Newton's shop, trying not to imagine the looks I would get from all of my old friends.

I pulled into the parking lot of the sports store, and immediately saw the group, shivering beside Tyler's van. My eyes panned through the sparse parking lot and I cringed, not seeing any of the McRaes vehicles. _Looks_ _like I'm on my own._

I climbed out of my truck and the whispers started immediately. Lauren and Jessica's mouths almost hit the floor, but they quickly recovered andmelted into gazes of disgust. Angela smiled and waved at me from Ben Cheney's side, and I made a small decision to stick with them for the trip.

"Hey, Bella!" Tyler ran up to me and I gave him my best smile. His face faltered a bit, probably after seeing Ary wasn't with me, and he tried to hide his disappointment. He didn't do a very good job. "Oh, so I guess the McRaes opted out?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, I haven't talked to them today."

He nodded and smiled ruefully, but before he could say anything his eyes narrowed. "Is that them?"

I didn't mean to turn around so quickly, but I did, and almost found myself on the pavement. The ground was covered sporadically with patches of ice, which didn't work in my uncoordinated favor. As soon as I shifted, my feet fell out from under me, and I tumbled towards the earth. Tyler reached out and caught my flailing body, which almost knocked him over as well, and we both stared at what was coming.

A huge black pickup truck, much newer than my monster, was driving towards us. The paint shined brightly in the dark hues of the morning light, and the license plate was blank. As it pulled to a stop in front of Tyler and I, the window rolled down revealing a pair of familiar green eyes.

"Argos." I breathed a sigh of relief, no longer feeling alone.

He grinned and, before he could speak, Melena's head popped over his shoulder and beamed at me.

"Good morning, Bella," she mused and whispered in her husband's ear, which earned her a soft smile from the massive Argos. He parked the truck where it stood, and opened the door, letting Melena spill from the inside of the vehicle.

My arms wrapped around her cold hard frame, squeezing her as hard as I could. She giggled and embraced me in return.

"Are you all right?" She whispered in my ear.

"I'm just so glad you're both here." My voice was quivering and I pulled away, feeling the embarrassment flush through me.

"We're not the only ones," she said with a mischievous look in her eyes and turned back to the truck. I shifted in time to see Dante and Ira exit on the other side, smiling from ear to ear.

My entire body, tense up until now, relaxed fully and I couldn't help the toothy grin that exploded across my face. True, I missed Ary and wished with all my heart that she was here, but having Melena and the others here was just as good.

"Hey, it's great to see you guys." Tyler materialized beside me and immediately cringed as his eyes fell on Argos. "Hi, I don't think I've met you before."

"Tyler, this is Argos," Melena beamed and rested her hand on Argos's massive chest. "Argos, this is Tyler, he goes to school with me."

"It's nice to meet you," Argos said and seized Tyler's hand in his massive grip.

I tilted my head in confusion; Argos's accent seemed diminished as he greeted Tyler. He sounded like a normal American. Remembering that Carlisle had lost his English accent over time, told me that he probably had control over it so he could blend in.

"Awesome. So, is everyone here?" Tyler shoved his hands in his pockets and I knew immediately what he was trying to say. _Is Aryana coming?_

Apparently, so did Melena. "Aryana extends her apology," Melena said sweetly and rested her hand on Tyler's shoulder. "She had to run to Port Angeles for a few necessities."

It was a plausible enough excuse, so Tyler took it without questioning what Ary could need in Port Angeles that she couldn't find here in Forks.

So, without much delay, everyone began piling into Mike's mom's minivan. It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that everyone wasn't going to fit—especially not Argos. So the McRaes offered to take their truck to La Push, which everyone immediately agreed to. Knowing my friends, they wanted to start gossiping as soon as possible.

"Hey Bella," Mike called to me as I was moving beside Melena to the truck. "We got room for one more."

I smiled to cover my disappointment and, after throwing a look of sadness at Melena, jogged back to my human friends. As soon as they shut the van door, they were all over me.

"Are Melena and that big guy dating?" Jessica asked with a look of haughty disbelief on her face.

"As far as I know," I said and shrugged, trying to feign some level of ignorance. I somehow knew it wouldn't work though, I had openly spent so much time with the McRaes, they would know I'd knew a lot more.

"Wait." Eric Yorkie held his hands up beside me, lips arched in what looked like revulsion. "Don't they live together? That's gross, and he has to be like ten years older than her."

I snickered, knowing that the real age difference would shock and disturb them.

"So where did they come from?" Eric asked.

"Sudbury," I said without looking at any of them. "Up in Ontario."

"Are they all really dating?" Jessica just couldn't get off that subject.

"Look guys," I said with an apologetic grimace. "I really don't feel comfortable talking about them behind their backs."

"It's not like they'll know," Jessica said and laughed a little. "They're in another car."

I turned over my shoulder to stare at the truck behind us, and I thought I could see the McRaes laughing, but it was hard to tell with the tinted windows. I simply shrugged and went silent, not wanting to spill anything they didn't want the humans to know.

"Does anyone else notice the creepy similarities between the McRaes and the Cullens?" Lauren asked from the front seat, not looking back to the group.

Everyone's eyes turned to me, a mixture of wariness and curiosity, and I simply shrugged. It wouldn't surprise me if the entire school knew about my being lost in the woods after Edward left. They more than likely expected me to have a breakdown, and to be honest, I was astounded that I didn't.

"I don't know guys," Tyler said, surprising me as he covered up for the McRaes unknowingly. "Did the Cullens ever hang out with us?"

They all agreed begrudgingly, and the van quickly fell silent. The trip to La Push seemed to take a lot less time than I remembered; then again, I was deep in thought. Part of me wondered if I'd see Jacob Black again. It had been about six months since I'd last seen him. I secretly owed him a great deal; without his unknowing assistance I would never have figured out what Edward and the Cullens were.

"We're here!" Mike announced and broke me from my internal revelry. My neck snapped back and I sighed with relief as I saw Argos's truck stop and park behind them. As soon as the doors of the van swung open, I was out and at Melena's side immediately.

Jessica and Lauren gave her a snide look before retreating beside Mike and Tyler, who were too busy fighting over the map to really acknowledge them. I took the opportune moment to question Melena about something that was bothering her still.

"Hey, where's Eric?" A deep sinking feeling had formed in my stomach since she noticed he was not in the truck with them.

"He's working with Avarice today." Melena's answer was stiff and a bit robotic, which put me on alert. Whenever one of the Cullens had acted like this, it normally meant trouble. But before I could ask any more questions, Mike cheerfully began leading everyone into the cluster of woods surrounding them.

An hour later found our group sitting in a tight circle, while Tyler and Mike both fought over the compass and which way they should take. The girls were all complaining about their feet hurting and fearing that they were lost, never to be found. Melena and I were leaning beside a fallen tree, chuckling softly at their complaining.

I rolled my eyes, as Jessica started talking about starting up a wilderness village, and turned to Melena. "We're not lost, are we?"

"Of course not," she whispered with a chipper laugh. "We're a mile and a half away from where we started, I can smell the cars and…"

All of a sudden Melena stopped speaking and her mouth tightened into a fine line. Her neck shot up as the wind changed, and her eyes narrowed while she inhaled deeply.

"What is it?" I asked curiously, noticing the distinct change in her demeanor. My eyes wandered around the surrounding forest, but I couldn't see anything.

"We need to break away from the group," she whispered and stood up, motioning to Argos, Ira, and Dante before speaking louder. "If you don't mind, we're going to go see if we can find a familiar trail."

"That's a good idea," Eric Yorkie agreed and nodded. "We should spread out and take a look around."

The girls groaned, not wanting to move from their spot, but as soon as the guys started moving, they jumped right up. My head whipped around as Melena's hand formed a vice on my upper arm, pulling me in the opposite direction.

"We'll go this way," Melena pointed in one direction and started moving, dragging me behind her, while the other McRaes joined our side. "Yell if you find something."

"You got it!" Mike called to us, but I could hardly recognize his voice.

"_Pree quay notre mas_?" Argos spoke the strangest language, with no discernable words that I could understand. However, given the urgency behind his voice, I didn't press them.

"_Cam layza_," Melena responded and gripped my arm even tighter, almost forming a tourniquet. "Bella, I want you to listen to me and follow every instruction I give. Do not leave my side, and try to keep up."

"What's going on?" I asked, a shiver running through me as we moved into a darker part of the forest.

"We'll tell you later," she insisted and moved a little faster, making me stumble on a big rock. "Right now, I need you to keep quiet."

My body trembled and my heart thudded heavily as we moved through the trees effortlessly. I looked to the side and noticed that Argos, Dante, and Ira were no longer with us. Melena and I were traveling alone through the La Push forest, and I had the sneaking suspicion that we were being watched. There were soft crunches, the sound of crushing leaves, filling the silence, which sounded too far away to belong to us.

My eyes scoured around, wanting to see if we were anywhere near the truck, and if I could see what had become of the rest of the McRaes, but I was only met with the dense forest. Melena pulled me quicker and, as my eyes tried to focus on where I was going, I slipped and tumbled to the ground.

I rubbed my ankle and lifted myself up, however, as I tried to stand up, my gaze turned to the left and I saw a black blur moving through the forest. My mouth fell slack as my eyes narrowed at the suspicious object moving through the trees. It was massive and furry, with a figure that almost looked like a bear.

"'Melena, what was—"

Before I could finish, Melena hoisted me on her back and rushed, at vampire speed, through the forest. Her feet barely touched the floor as she sprinted through the foliage. My hands clasped tightly around her neck and my heart beat furiously within my chest. Without really thinking, I turned my head and glanced behind us, and what I saw made me gasp.

There were three large creatures, about the size of horses, trailing a few yards behind us, snarling viciously and growling. The sight of them made me squeeze tighter and hide my face in Melena's hair. Despite her sweet scent flowing over me, my anxiety couldn't be assuaged. Images flashed through my mind of the time Edward had carried me on his back. The pain flared in my chest, but one glance behind me and my fear overrode the agony within me.

We broke through a line of trees and found ourselves in a clearing, open from any overhanging trees. I was reminded of the fateful night on the baseball field with the Cullens, however this field was covered with dead grass and a few dead sticks.

Once we reached the opposite side, Melena tossed her shoulders, sending me tumbling to the ground. The seat of my pants hit the ground with a soft thud, and I looked up at Melena. A deafening howl cut through the air and I tried to stand up.

"Stay there," Melena ordered and I started to demand what was going on, but a guttural snarl cut through my question. I shifted and peered beyond Melena and shuddered in horror at the sight before me.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: **Second Chances**

The first creature to step forth in the clearing was black and rugged looking, with mud clinging to its already matted fur. Its round head tilted sideways as its upper snout retreated, revealing sharp fangs. As they stepped out of the shadows, I gasped, when I saw their pointed ears and familiar body structure. They were wolves, definitely larger than any I'd ever seen before, but wolves none the less. With another growl, two others entered the clearing, one was silver and the other a darker gray, each one snapped in our direction.

I was paralyzed as I watched the gigantic monsters stalk towards us with open mouths. Their body structure and outward appearance looked like a wolf, but they were much too big. Even my previous appraisal, a bear, was miniscule in comparison. My body began to quake with fear, they were almost half way towards us.

Much to my surprise and utter horror, Melena took a confident step towards them, raising her arms and bending at the waist, almost like a bow of respect. I looked at her with an incredulous stare; what the heck did she think she was doing? Vampires were the strongest creatures on the Earth, the thought calmed me a little, however there were three of these enormous wolves.

For a brief second, I wondered if this was the reason the Cullens stayed off the Quileutes' land. That logic would only make sense though, if these wolves posed some threat. My brow furrowed as I continued to watch Melena advance slowly towards the wolves, which had stopped moving all together. Maybe that was it; these enormous beasts could harm vampires.

A loud roar snapped me from my thoughts and I looked back, just in time to see a sandy brown mass sail over my head. I watched whatever it was fly straight into the three wolves, forcing them to scatter in all directions. The thing then stood on two legs and I found myself scooting to the edge of the forest.

The new creature stood on two muscular legs and it had to be at least seven and half feet tall. Its body was covered in rippling, fur-covered muscles, and a head that looked much similar to a bear. As the wolves circled it, the bear-like creature took a step back and erupted into a chorus of inhuman roars.

My hands flew to my ears, as the loud bellowing threatened to destroy my ear drums. The huge wolves yelped and hopped back, clearly confused by the loud noise, but quickly regained their composure and began stalking towards Melena and the creature.

With a simple hop, Melena stood beside the massive sandy brown animal, and realization dawned on me. My memory retreated back to a

conversation I had had with Ary once. It seemed like almost a lifetime ago

that she had told me Argos could transform into a bear-like creature. With that knowledge, a smile spread across my face, I knew I was safe. Argos reached out and snatched one of wolves in his massive jaws, which made the remainder of them lurch forward and attack him. However, Melena skimmed through the air and caught one of them midstride, kicking them across the field. It landed in the distance, a tangled mess of fur, and scurried on the ground in, what looked like, an attempt to regain its composure.

Some movement beside me caught my attention, and, as I looked, another blurred object moved through the open space, and collided with the last wolf. When the form stopped, I recognized the distinct outline of Eric McRae.

With an agile leap, he positioned himself behind the last wolf, the dark grey one. Eric wrapped his arms around the dark grey wolf's body and appeared to squeeze it tightly. The monster in his grasp began to writhe and cry out in pain, occasionally turning its head to try and snap at its captor. Eric simply laughed and tossed the massive beast into the air, sending it spiraling in the sky.

Argos, meanwhile, had released the wolf from his jaws and was squaring off with it. The large monster seemed very intimidated by the enormous bear-like creature, and showed it by taking hesitant steps forward and quickly retreating a few paces back. Argos lowered himself down, so he was standing on his arms and legs, appearing to equal the ground between the black wolf and himself. The dark creature seized the opportunity and jumped at Argos, biting into the back of his furry neck.

Another blurred figure shot through the open air and, as I tried to follow its trajectory, it rammed right into the black wolf. When it stopped, I laughed incredulously when I saw it was little Skye. The Asian vampire flipped over the fallen beast and grabbed hold of its hind legs. With a twist, I heard a sickening crack and I cringed as the wolf howled in pain.

"Interesting sight isn't it?"

I screamed and snapped my head to the right as Avarice materialized beside me. He smiled apologetically at me and crossed his legs on the ground. He sighed, as if he was bored, and leaned against me.

When I finally found my voice, I shifted to look at him. "What's going on?"

Another horrifying crack filled the air, and I noticed one of the wolves dragging a limp leg behind it. I couldn't help but cringe at the sight; fighting always made me squeamish.

"I'm sorry you had to see this, Bella," Avarice said with a frown, but before he could continue Eric approached us.

"Avarice," he said in a stern voice, no trace of the Eric I knew in his tone."We're ready."

"Good." Avarice stood as Skye, Melena, Ira, and Dante—who I didn't even see arrive—pulled the three limp wolves in front of him. He squared his shoulders and took a step forward. "I think I have an understanding of your purpose, and I won't contest your right to exist." He threw a look at Argos, who was once again human and wearing tattered clothes. "But if you ever set foot on our property again, we will not hesitate to protect ourselves. Is that clear?"

The black wolf nodded.

"We will stay off your land, if you stay away from us," Avarice said formally and I realized what was going on. The McRaes were making a pact—but why were they making it with these creatures? It would seem more adequate to make a truce or agreement with the tribal elders, unless these gigantic wolves had something to do with the tribe.

The animals rose slowly off the ground and limped away, disappearing into the forest, and I turned to see the McRaes retreating in the opposite direction. I was about to follow them, when I felt a soft tap on my shoulder.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Eric's soft, luxurious voice calmed my nerves slightly. I turned and found him staring at me with concern. "I'm sorry about this."

"W-What?"

I was speechless; the last time I had seen Eric had been when he dropped me off after our botched date. Now here he was, eyes pouring over me and his face wrought with worry. I couldn't shake the memories of the previous evening, when he had left me in silence. Now, he appeared to be acting like nothing was wrong.

"Those giant wolves roam the La Push forests," Eric continued, moving his gaze to the forest where the massive beasts had disappeared. When he spoke again, his voice was laced with malice and venom. "Last night, they broke away and decided to pay us a visit."

"Is everyone okay?" I implored, still taken aback by him.

He turned back to me and smiled. "Of course."

That was it. Something about the way he looked at me made me lose my nerve. One moment I was standing a few feet from him, and the next I was rushing forward and hugging him tightly. Maybe it was the fight I had just seen or possibly the way Eric had pulled from me the previous night. Whatever it was, I felt exhilarated and refreshed to be so close to him.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly and wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

"Eric, I'm so sorry," I sobbed into his frigid chest and lifted my eyes to find him chuckling.

"What on Earth do you have to be sorry for, Bella?" he asked, his eyes glittering in the hidden sunlight, before stroking my hair. "Unless you were the one who sent those dogs after us."

This was where I pushed away from him and gawked like he was completely insane. Was he really asking that question? What did I have to be sorry for? "Are you kidding?" I wiped a stray tear from my cheek and shook my head bitterly. "I called you _Edward _after we kissed."

Eric blanched a bit before recovering and shortening the space between us. "I will admit," he said steadily and crossed his arms. "You caught me off guard with that one, Bella, but I wasn't born yesterday."

I raised my eyebrows to him, not sure what he meant.

"I know I'm not the first to come into your life," he said and, with a small scoff, he added, "hell, I'm not even the first vampire."

"I just don't know if I can—"

Eric closed the remaining distance between us, and swept me up into his arms. As his scent washed over me, my voice cut off, and I immediately found myself basking in my own personal utopia. Eric's strong hands held me up while his lips found my ear.

"I won't push you, Bella," he whispered, sending goose bumps up and down my body. "If we're to develop into anything more, it's going to be because you want me."

I shivered against his icy touch and the lick of warmth hidden in his words, and I found my head reeling with possibilities. Was Ary right? Did I have another chance at happiness with Eric? Moreover, did I desire another chance—did I want to forget Edward? The questions were endless but, for now, I pushed them to the corners of my thoughts, and let myself be happy in that moment.

Eric lowered me to the ground after a few seconds and seized my hand.

With a goofy grin, he led me back in the direction Melena had pulled me from, and began whistling happily. I trailed after him, not knowing where we were headed, but too emotionally spent to really care.

"Tell you what," he called over his shoulder after a few minutes of silence. "How about we scratch what happened last night and start over?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well…" he paused to help me over a huge tree root before continuing. "How about you come over to the house tonight and we'll just—what's the term your generation uses—hang out?"

A soft flush spread across my cheeks as I muttered, "Okay."

He smiled, as if thoroughly pleased by my answer, and continued moving forward. Every now and then he'd lift his head a little higher and inhale deeply, and divert slightly from our path.

After a minute or two of this, my curiosity got the better of me. "Where are we going?"

"Back to your friends," Eric replied with a cheery tone and looked back at me. "Of course, this would go much quicker if I could run."

I groaned, remembering my jaunt through the woods with Melena a few minutes ago, and with Edward a few months prior. The hole in my chest had been surprisingly tame today, but I didn't want to risk it. Still, I had a sneaking suspicion that Eric didn't want to be in the woods anymore than I did, and I didn't want to inconvenience him. So, with a hesitant smile, I nodded.

Unlike Melena who had pulled me on roughly, like an old backpack, Eric picked me up gently and waited for me to get a strong grip before moving forward. He didn't start running right away, instead he broke out into a slow run, which steadily increased, and soon the trees were blurring on either side of me.

Instead of hiding my face, like I did with Edward, or shut my eyes, I let myself see everything that was happening around me. I'm not exactly sure what changed, maybe it was because we started off slow and worked out way to this speed, or possibly it was because I trusted him. Whatever the reason, the air filling my lungs and the forest moving around me made me feel surreal and free of the weight I'd been under since the Cullens left.

Two minutes later, Eric abated his speed to a steady walk and lowered me to my feet. He explained that my friends were just over the hill, and the other McRaes were waiting with them.

"Thanks, Eric," I smiled and hugged him softly. "I'll see you later?"

"Of course," he replied and kissed my forehead.

The butterflies in my stomach began to flutter and I felt my face flush brightly. When Eric pulled away, I covered my face quickly, not wanting him to see my tomato face, and headed towards the hill, a smile spread across my face.

Ten minutes later, I was safely inside my truck, on my way back to Forks. I grinned as I remembered how, as soon as I rejoined the group, the McRaes had headed the expedition to find the way out of the wilderness. They, of course, led us back to our starting place without requiring any navigation, and not having to explain how they knew exactly which way to go.

"You're coming to the house later, yes?" Melena asked after we hugged beside Argos's black truck.

Argos had not spoken once to me since I had returned to the group, which made me a little uneasy. I wanted to ask Melena about it but decided it was best saved for later. Right now the most important task was getting away from the woods and La Push. The memory of those wolves still clung to my mind and sent shivers down my spine.

"Of course," I responded and hopped into my truck.

When I arrived home, I was deeply relieved to see my father's cruiser parked haphazardly in the drive way, and amused to find him passed out on the couch. I moved quietly upstairs and gathered a blanket and pillow from his bedroom and made him a little more comfortable.

My stomach rumbled a bit, so I headed to the kitchen and made myself a quick sandwich. While chewing, I glanced down at a stack of newspapers strewn over the table. On top were one of Charlie's files from work and the Seattle Times; both of which were resting on USA Today. I stopped momentarily to read the headlines on the two papers.

_Seattle Times—String of murders leave Detectives baffled._

_USA Today—Strange home demolition in North Texas; no sign of explosives or fire._

"What?" I mumbled and read the article in the USA Today further.

Apparently, a family of four returned to their summer home to find it completely destroyed. The detectives had sent arson investigators and scientists in, but they had all come up with nothing. It was almost like the house decided to explode on its own.

With a sigh, I closed the paper and finished my sandwich. As I drank the last of my milk, I glanced at Charlie's police file suspiciously, curious to know what had kept him out so late. However, as I was about to make a grab for it, a familiar grumble told me that Charlie was awake.

"Bells?" I heard his gruff voice call me, so, instead of making him rouse from his makeshift bed on the couch, I made my way over to him. He was half sitting up by the time I got there, and I cringed at the sight of his bloodshot eyes. "Hey, kiddo, how was hiking?"

"It was great, dad," I said and took a seat on the recliner next to him. "How was your day?"

He sighed and hung his head, obviously hearing the hidden implication in my question. _Where had he been all night and all day? _"There've been some strange things going on south of Forks, Bella."

"What kind of strange things?"

He rubbed his forehead and sat up completely, pulling his legs from under the blanket and placing them on the floor. He turned his eyes to me, the darkest I'd ever seen them; I'd never seen my father look like that before.

"A couple hikers, who've been missing," he said seriously and laced his fingers together, "we found them—at least, I think we did."

"You think you did?" I didn't like the way my father looked. Charlie and I had always withheld our emotions from other people, so to see him this shaken was bizarre to say the least. "What happened, dad?"

"Bella," he said, sternly changing the subject. "I don't want you driving south of town by yourself, do you understand?"

The first thought that ran through my mind was my plans with Eric tonight.

"What? Dad, I—"

"This isn't up for discussion." Charlie's voice was hard and final, making me realize that there was no way I would dissuade him from this he had seen must have been bad. However, as my face fell, he sighed and added, "As long as you have someone driving with you, Bells."

Well, that seemed easy, I was more than positive that one of the McRaes would come pick me up. However, as the bigger picture painted itself, my face fell. Groaning internally at the ramifications of this, I painfully realized that Charlie was going to meet Eric.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: **Condemned**

I sat in the living room, not an inch of me relaxed, waiting for one of the most awkward moments of my life. Having stumbled and stuttered my way through asking Eric to pick me up, I now had the arduous task of introducing him to my father. My face flushed as I remembered how Edward was eager to meet Charlie, though I didn't know why he had been so excited. Eric was so different from Edward; I couldn't help fear the way my dad would respond, especially since Eric was the first guy I brought home since the Cullens left.

At exactly five o'clock, there was a firm knock at the front door and I immediately shot up like a rocket. I pulled the door open and sighed when I saw Eric leaning casually against the doorframe, his hair falling carelessly into his eyes.

"Eager?" He cocked an eyebrow and smirked at me, which sent tremor through my body. Appearing satisfied with my reaction, Eric straightened his posture and dug his hands in the pockets of his dark denim jeans. "So, when do I get to meet dear old dad?"

I snickered nervously at his twisted facial expression, his broad smile showing a little too much teeth, and stepped back to let him in. "Now, actually."

I turned to lead him further into the house, straight to my awaiting father, but he surprised me by grabbing my hand and intertwining his fingers with my own. The blush returned to my cheeks and I averted my open mouth stare, trying to concentrate on the task of introducing him to Charlie.

My father's eyebrows pulled together as the two of us rounded the corner, causing me to drop Eric's hand like a hot iron. The last thing I needed was Charlie interrogating Eric like a boyfriend when I wasn't even sure if that's what he was.

"Dad." My voice wavered as my father stood up, squaring his shoulders, and gave Eric a head-to-toe look. "This is Eric; Eric, this is my dad, Charlie Swan."

"It's nice to meet you, Chief Swan," Eric spoke softly and took a step away from me to shake Charlie's hand. "Eric McRae."

"Whoa, your hands are cold, son!" Charlie's eyes widened at Eric's touch and I had to stifle a giggle, knowing the reason behind his icy touch. "Nice to meet you Eric. So, where you kids headed?"

"I was going to take Bella to my house," Eric said with a quick glance back at me, and quickly added, "if that's all right with you, sir."

"What you two gonna do there?" Charlie inquired and crossed his arms at his chest, clearly not okay with the thought of Eric and me alone in a house.

"My family is having a game night, sir," Eric said and Charlie's face relaxed a bit. "My sisters have insisted that I bring Bella over."

"Is that so?" Charlie smiled lightly, which told me Eric had won him over, and uncrossed his arms. "Where do you live, son?"

"South of town, sir," Eric replied as Charlie moved beside me. "Just off the freeway; the private estate."

Charlie tensed up beside me, but, before I could ask him what was wrong, he relaxed. I knew it had something to do with those hikers that were found south of town, but I didn't know the specifics. My curiosity flared for the file folder sitting in the kitchen, and I wondered if I could chance a look at them.

"Well," Charlie spoke, cutting off my thoughts. "You two better get going. Bells, don't be home too late."

"Okay." I nodded and quickly turned to usher Eric out of my house. "See you later, dad."

"That wasn't too bad," Eric mused as he got onto the highway and started heading south.

"Easy for you to say," I grumbled as I leaned back into the leather seats, finally starting to relax. Eric didn't understand that the next time I saw my father I was going to be given the third degree, just because Charlie had seen us holding hands. "He probably thinks you and I are a couple."

"Hmm," Eric mumbled intelligibly beside me but, just before I was going to ask him what he said, he changed the subject. "So, I hope you're not horribly scarred from earlier."

"You mean, watching your family fight a pack of huge monsters?" I shrugged and smiled at the sudden worried look he gave me. "No, I'm fine."

Eric turned away, shaking his head and chuckling, and we fell into a silence that was strangely comfortable. As I watched the trees pass the outside of the car, I felt Eric's icy fingers intertwine in my own, and I smiled as an electric tingle made its way up my arm. When I looked over at him, he didn't meet my gaze but a soft smile spread across his face, one I had never seen on him before.

Fifteen minutes later, Eric and I were slowly approaching the front of the McRae house. As we climbed out of the car, I could hear shouting from behind the massive structure, and I turned to Eric with a curious look.

He simply laughed. "It's game night, Bella."

"You mean that wasn't a lie?" I quirked an eyebrow.

"You think I would lie to your father?" Eric feigned horror and brought his hand dramatically to his chest. "Miss Swan, just what do you take me for?"

I giggled as his look of shock melted to his normal mischievous grin. There was something about Eric, his humor and personality, which warmed me deeply and soothed the agony that the Cullens left behind.

I immediately froze, a horrified grimace across my face, and waited for the pain to creep in. However, as the moments ticked by, the only feeling was a mild burn in my chest, but nothing serious. My brow indented heavily, and I frowned, not understanding why I didn't feel anything. Usually the thought of Edward and his family brought the most agonizing, debilitating feeling in my stomach and heart; but now, there was barely any feeling at all.

"Is everything all right?" Eric's sudden question made me just a little, and he cringed apologetically.

"Yeah," I muttered, still distracted by the loss of torture, and decided to drop it for the time being. However, I vowed to myself to test it later, to see if the pain associated with the Cullens was gone permanently or temporarily.

"So, Eric," I said, trying to take my mind off the numb hole in my chest. "What exactly did you mean by game night?"

He turned to look at me, a sly smile stretching from ear to ear. "You'll just have to wait and see."

I opened my mouth to ask what he meant, but, just before the words could leave my lips, Eric bounded forward and launched himself off the ground. My mouth fell ajar as I followed him with my eyes, and I shook my head as he landed on top of the roof and waved at me.

"Come on, Bella!" Eric shouted from the top of the roof in a cheery tone. I couldn't help the sarcastic laugh that poured out of me. "I don't think that's going to happen, Eric."

"Sure it will," I heard a gentle voice respond to my statement.

The entire world was instantly beneath my feet and I felt completely weightless. I tried to look over my shoulder, but the ground suddenly rushed up to meet my flailing body, and I was screaming for dear life. The blood pumped through my veins, my breath quickened, and before I knew what was happening, I blacked out.

When I regained consciousness, I heard a very distinct voice whispering my name softly, and I opened my eyes. Eric beamed at me, a bright golden halo forming above his head, and trailed his hand across my cheek.

"What happened?" My voice was raspy and I had to cough a little to clear my throat.

Eric lowered his eyes and appeared to laugh softly. "Dante was trying to help you on the roof, and you passed out."

"Oh," I said, and as the realization set in I flushed bright red. "Oh." This had been one of many times I had had some kind of meltdown or black out at the McRae house. As I looked at Eric's amused face, I couldn't help but roll my eyes; with his silent chuckles and poignant stare, I was sure he found this completely humorous.

"Sorry," I muttered and tried to lift myself off the ground, only to get dizzy and fall right back down.

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Bella," Eric mused as he picked me up and wrapped his arm around my waist. "It's actually my fault; I should have told you that Dante was going to pick you up."

"That would have helped," I agreed, but quickly added, "but it probably wouldn't have done any good. I'm just accident prone."

"I won't contest that," he laughed and guided me forward. My eyes panned around and I realized immediately that I was on the same third story balcony that I have fallen from a few weeks earlier. My body tensed a little as the memories of the day resurfaced, but Eric's chilly touch was enough to distract me entirely.

The sounds from the back, which I had been hearing earlier, were much louder from where we stood. As I moved forward, towards the edge of the balcony, I saw what was making all the ruckus. Melena had Avarice in a tight headlock and was snarling viciously at him. Eric appeared in my periphery right as Melena threw Avarice across the open field, sending him into an awkward spiral through the air. With amazing agility, Avarice twisted his body midair and landed on his feet, just like a cat.

Melena turned her head in our direction, smiled, and waved eagerly in my direction. Eric and I both reciprocated the action right before Avarice hurled himself across the space between them.

"So, what's that?" I asked without tearing my eyes away from the action below.

"Game night," Eric replied simply and tapped me on the shoulder. He gestured to a spot a few feet from us; it was a pile of blankets and pillows oddly placed, but looked very comfortable.

"Okay, I'm going to need more of an explanation," I said and lowered myself onto the plush area and found I could still watch everything going on below me. My stomach immediately fluttered as Eric took a seat behind me, letting his legs fall on either side of my own legs. He wrapped his arms gingerly around my shoulders and smiled at me as I fidgeted anxiously.

"Game night," he began and paused, chuckling a little bit, before continuing. "Is what we do after we have a battle of some kind. Avarice will talk about where our strategy and skill are weak as well as what was acceptable."

"Okay," I nodded, though I didn't really understand, and leaned back against his chest.

"You don't get it, do you?" I snapped my head to face his humored smirk before shaking my head apologetically. "It's all right, I wouldn't expect you to understand, Bella. It's just one of those things that goes along with being in the family."

"I see," I muttered, remembering the McRaes strange habit of remaining in one place for only a year before moving. I knit my brow, still frustrated for being kept in the dark, but took a deep breath and tried to relax. But before I could change the subject, my brain decided to throw me a curve ball, and before long I was listening to a previous conversation.

"_Wait, you know Dr. Carlisle Cullen and his family?"_

"_Dr. Carlisle Cullen? Yes, we know him; lapdog to the Italians and slave to his own convictions."_

I narrowed my eyes and turned them sideways to Eric, who was currently watching whoever was fighting on the lawn below. Not too long ago, I was able to flirt, however badly, in order to get information about the Cullens; from the looks of it, I would have to do it again.

My face began to heat up, almost at the thought of flirting with Eric. I had no knowledge on what was the best flirting technique, but I knew that I was definitely going to embarrass myself. As I embraced that truth, I took a deep breath and pushed away from Eric's chilly form.

"Is everything all right?" he asked with a slightly curious look in his eyes.

"Yeah." I did my best to act casual but I knew by his crooked eyebrow it wasn't working, so I skipped ahead. "Hey Eric, can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything." The sly grin returned and I was forced to look away for a moment. Even in the fading light, Eric was absolutely breathtaking.

"Okay, um, ha ha," I stuttered nervously and glanced down at my fingers, twiddling them quickly. "I-I was w-wondering, w-why don't you guys l-like the C-Cullens?"

Eric's face darkened and my stomach clenched as a shiver ran up my spine; had this been a bad idea? Avarice had been quite forceful, the first time I met him, about telling me they would not answer any questions regarding the Cullens; would Eric be just as harsh?

He stayed quiet for quite awhile; in fact, I had turned my attention back to the field and was heavily involved in the current battle between Avarice and Skye, when Eric finally spoke.

"Bella," he said my name so softly, I could barely hear it, but it was loud enough to break my concentration. He stared at me for a moment, seeming to search my face for something, when he finally exhaled heavily and ran a hand through his hair. "That's a long story."

"Will you actually tell me?" My eyebrows shot up hopefully.

He cringed softly but nodded. "Yes, if you wish."

I was a little confused. Why was Eric suddenly willing to open up? He took my head and led me inside the house, from the small balcony door, and, after descending the stairs, he led me into a spacious modern room.

"Whose room is this?" I inquired as I inspected the interior of the lavish space. Unlike the rest of the house, this place was adorned with only the basic needs—well, for a human anyway. There was a black, box-shaped, sofa, black shelves cut into the wall, filled with books, c.d.s, and what looked like DVD cases. A mahogany desk rested by the window, overlooking the surrounding forest, and in the corner was an ebony colored acoustic guitar.

The colors contrasted with the white walls and the cream carpet, but there was an elegance about this room that seemed…understated.

"This is my room," Eric said a little quietly and took a seat on the sofa; his eyes not meeting mine.

"It's nice," I said and sat down next to him, curious why we had to come inside in the first place. Thought I was dying to poke around his room and see what I could learn about him, I was close to finding out about the McRaes' dislike for the Cullens, and that was more important. "So, Eric—"

"If I'm going to tell you this," he said, suddenly tense, "then I have to start from the beginning."

"All right." I nodded my head and placed my hands in my lap, a mixture of anxiety and excitement.

"Tell me something, Bella," he said as he laid his head against the back of the sofa. "While you spent time with the Cullens, did you ever hear them speak about the pure bloods?"

"The pure bloods?" I repeated the word, trying to see if it brought back any memories; it didn't. "No, they didn't."

"Hmm," he responded and stood up. "The short definition of a pure blood is a creature that was not bitten, but born a vampire. There are only a few of them, but they're powerful enough to control those around them."

As I watched him pace around the room, I was reminded of my talk with Edward about the Volturi—the so-called law keepers. "Do you mean the Volturi?" Eric stopped and looked at me with a curious look. "Aren't they supposed to be like royalty or something?"

His neck jerked back and he let out a short laugh. "The Volturi? Royalty? Hardly." He shook his head and knelt down at my feet. "I can see how some might assume that the Volturi are royalty, but that is a very inaccurate."

"How so?"

"Well." He leaned back and appeared to think it over before he continued.

"The Volturi are created beings, Bella. They were all bitten by one of the pure bloods; Caius was bitten by Zador, Marcus was sired by Vienne, and Aro was changed by the Lord of the pure bloods—Bane. They were all made a couple thousand years ago."

"A couple thousand?" My eyebrows arched.

"Yes." Eric nodded and smiled. "You see the pure bloods, similar to the Volturi, hardly ever leave their home. They have food and entertainment brought to their home, and they have those who carry out their wishes on the outside. Since they have no purpose outside their home and there are none stupid enough to attack their nesting ground, they are thriving still."

A shiver ran through me as I thought about these creatures, thousands of years old, living and feeding in the world I lived in. "How many are there?"

"The pure bloods?" he asked and I nodded. "There are eleven of them; six males and five females."

"So, what does all this have to do with you and the others?" I asked, not clearly understand how a coven of vampires that never left their home could be relevant to the McRaes.

"About a year after Lazarus bit Aryana," Eric's voice grew serious as he continued, "they received an invitation to visit the pure bloods. Apparently, word had reached the coven about a group of powerful vampires moving throughout Europe."

"How'd they find Ary and the others?"

"They have trackers and hunters at their disposal," he said offhandedly, like it was no big deal. "The Volturi have one rule, Bella. The Pure bloods have two: keep the secret at all costs and never tamper with the bloodline."

"The pure bloods accused Lazarus of breaking the law." Eric laced his fingers and his mouth formed a thin line. "They took one look at Aryana and Argos, and condemned them to death."

"What?" I almost shrieked in my shock. Just how many vampires wanted to kill Ary?

"Yes," he nodded gravely. "They told Lazarus and Avarice that, if they killed Ary and Argos, their lives would be spared."

"Well, they said no, of course," I responded quickly and Eric nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Then what happened?"

"After a small fight, they were able to escape." Eric finished and sat down beside me again. "Although, they've been running ever since."

"You mean the pure bloods are still chasing them?" It made sense; all the moving, the secrecy, the reason that Lazarus was in the south right now. Everything was starting to tie together, except their dislike of my former family. "So what about the Cullens?"

"Ah," Eric face grimaced. "Well, you see, Aryana and the others went to the Volturi for help. It's a wide known fact that the Volturi are jealous of the pure bloods' control in the supernatural world. However, when Lazarus and the others pleaded for assistance from the coven, Aro wanted to aide us but there was one vampire who changed their mind."

Eric stood up, his mouth set in an angry grimace and his eyes black and narrowed. "One individual who said that it was more beneficial if the Volturi did not intercede on the business of others. He stated that the pure bloods never declare war on innocent creatures, and therefore the McRaes must be guilty."

I pulled my knees to my chest as Eric stared at me. I'd never seen him look so furious.

"So the Volturi, agreeing with the arguments of this young vampire, shut us out and threw us to the lions. Bella, that one vampire was Carlisle Cullen."


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: **Mine.**

The rain outside splashed across my bedroom window with a melodious split-splat sound. Every now and then the lightning outside would illuminate my bedroom before plunging me back into darkness. I sighed and rolled over, wishing that I could calm my mind enough to actually acquire a decent amount of sleep. The past few nights had been relatively restful, and I didn't want that to change.

I shifted restlessly onto my back and stared at the ceiling, letting Eric's story ricochet through my brain. He had no reason to lie, but it seemed so impossible that Carlisle could do something so heartless. It was now that I really wished the Cullens were in Forks; I'd run right up to Carlisle and scream, "How could you?"

The wind howled through the night like a wolf, tossing the trees back and forth, and keeping me awake longer. I pulled the blankets tighter around me as the icy wind from outside resonated off the glass and seeped into my room. Groaning heavily, I pulled the comforter over my head, knowing that this storm would bring the freezing misery that was Forks in the winter.

The rain carried on throughout the night and into the next day. The cold droplets froze everything they touched, sending me into a small depression. I hated anything cold and wet, which unfortunately was almost everything in Forks. Throwing one last look of contempt at the gray clouds hovering in the sky, I climbed into my truck and headed to school.

There was something different about today, although I couldn't directly put my finger on it. As I pulled in the parking lot at school, I noticed some elements that were out of the ordinary. For one, as I climbed out of the truck, Jessica was openly glaring at me from a few yards away. Normally, she would turn away when I would meet her gaze, especially when she was alone. Another odd factor this morning was that Lauren was nowhere to be seen; up until now she and Jessica had been attached at the hip.

Second, the only McRae I could see was Eric, and he was leaning against his silver Mercedes with his back to me. This was strange because every time I had arrived at school, he was surrounded by his family, laughing and joking around.

The last, and the part that horrified me the most, was Mike Newton. He was standing directly in front of my truck wearing a nervous smile.

_Why do I have a bad feeling about this?_

"Hey, Bella." Mike's voice quivered as he approached me, and I hoped it was because he was cold.

"Hi, Mike." I feigned a delighted smile, but it was difficult, because as I greeted Mike, Eric whipped around to stare at us. He was too far for me to really see his expression, so I decided to ignore it. "What's up?"

"Uh," he stammered and rubbed the back of his neck. I tensed up, remembering he had made that same gesture when he had asked me to the girl's choice dance. "Well, Bella, I wanted to…uh…ask you something."

"Oh." I wondered if the dread was really noticeable in my voice. "All right, what is it?"

"Well," he said and puffed out his chest a bit as he inhaled, which made me laugh internally.

_He looks like a bird trying to impress a potential…mate…oh no._

"I was wondering," he said and dug his hand in his pockets, "if you'd consider … um … being … uh … my girlfriend."

I stiffened in horror and my face flushed heavily. Would I consider being his girlfriend? Was he crazy? I had hardly spoken to him at all and barely considered him a friend, given how uncomfortable I felt around him. What on Earth made him think I would date him?

"Well?" He smiled at me, his baby blue eyes hopeful.

I actually felt a little sorry for him; he clearly had no idea that I was not interested in him.

"Uh, Mike," I stuttered in my flustered state, and, I'm not sure why but, I looked over at Eric with a look that I hoped could be interpreted as _'help me'_.

"Look, I know you've been hurting." Mike seized my hand and held it between both his palms. "And I want to be there for you, Bella."

I grimaced at the cheesiness of his words and silently wished for another show down with Tyler's van. I longed for James to come back to life and attack me, or for a bear to charge out of the wilderness and into the parking lot. Anything to get Mike Newton away from me.

"I'm sorry, what do you think you're doing?"

The luxurious voice melted my nerves and soothed the anxiety inside me. I opened my eyes, fearing that I was dreaming, and found Eric glaring daggers at Mike. His stare sharpened as it fixed on my hands between Mike's palms.

"Excuse me?" Mike dropped my hands and turned to face Eric. "Dude, do you mind? We'd like some privacy here."

"Yes, I mind," Eric growled and grabbed Mike's shirt, pulling his close. "I mind that you're cornering and putting your hands on _my girlfriend._"

My stomach tightened and my eyes widened as I heard Eric's words. He had called me his girlfriend, not a friend or anything that could be misconstrued; he had labeled me as his.

My emotions immediately tore me in two. Half was enthralled at the thought of belonging to Eric; however, the other half was not quite as positive. Thoughts of being another vampire's distraction forced any sign of happiness from me, and my mood spiraled downward.

"You're…girlfriend?" Mike sounded weak, despondent, and humiliated.

"Yes." Eric nodded and, after letting go of Mike's shirt, placed himself beside me. As he continued to glower at the speechless Mike, the warning bell rang, signaling two minutes before class was to start. "Let's go, Bella."

We moved past Mike, Eric's hand in mine, I couldn't help my usual overly apologetic nature. "I'm sorry, Mike," I said as Eric wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me towards the main building.

We maneuvered through the thick mass of students, hurrying to their own first period classes. I kept giving Eric side glances. Now that I'd had time to think about it, I couldn't stop wondering if Eric had just said he was my boyfriend to get Mike to leave me alone.

"Why did you apologize to Mike?" Eric cut off my contemplating as we took our seats in English class.

"Why did you call me your girlfriend?" I decided that it was best to be direct; this was one question that I didn't want a vague answer to. Like ripping a Band-Aid off in one swift yank, it would make his rejection that much more bearable.

Part of me feared that he would say he did it to help me with Mike, and that he didn't think of me as anything more than a friend. However, Eric's constant affection and doting made me realize this would probably not happen. Then again, another part of me said that it was completely ridiculous and I shouldn't be feeling anything for him at all.

Eric's hand tightened to a fist, and he barely met my gaze when he asked, "Do you not wish to be? I don't particularly care for the term, but I suppose it's contemporary and accepted."

"No," I answered quickly but, as Eric's head fell, I amended my statement. "I mean, it's not that I don't want to be your…girlfriend, Eric."

"Are you attracted to me, Bella?" He pulled out his notebook as he asked this, his tone soft and prodding, not rhetorical. "Do you enjoy spending time with me?"

"You know I do." I didn't think that I'd have to tell him such a thing.

Spending time with Eric had become more than a way to distract myself from the Cullens. I liked being with Eric; he made me feel warm inside. It made sense that I was attracted to Eric; he was sweet to me, took time to make sure I was taken care of, and he looked at me with nothing short of pure adoration. So, why was there still a part of me that denied the feelings I knew were there? I couldn't help but deeply worry that a subconscious part of me was still longing for Edward, and that thought made me sad.

"Well?" Eric shifted in his seat and looked at me with a sad smile. The light from the fluorescent bulbs caught his eyes, causing them to twinkle and sparkle, and I was instantly oblivious to anything except the beautiful twin topazes staring directly at me.

"Uh," I stuttered incoherently as I reveled in the glorious sight of Eric's features.

"Bella?" His voice was like a silk waterfall filling my ears, sending goose bumps over my body. However, as he said my name again, I noticed his eyes narrow curiously, and I was quickly shaken from my dazzled state.

"Oh, sorry," I muttered as my cheeks flushed.

Eric opened him mouth but, right before he could speak, Mr. Marks entered the room and began explaining the next assignment. A five page term paper on the novel we were reading.

"You can pick any topic," he said while he shuffled through a handful of papers. "If you want to compare this book to another, be my guest. If you wish to write a five page critique on this book, by all means. However this is a collective assignment, which means I want you to work in groups of three; so go ahead and get together."

The door to the classroom burst open, revealing the tiny frame of Skye McRae. Her eyes were darker than normal, and, as she looked at Eric and then me, she slowly shook her head.

"Well, so nice of you to join us Miss McRae," Mr. Marks remarked sarcastically and gestured for her to take her seat. "I was just explaining the new project; I'm sure your brother can catch you up to speed."

"I'm sorry, sir," Skye muttered and made her way towards us. After Mr. Marks had given us leave to decide what the topic of our paper would be, Skye shifted and looked directly at Eric. "Did they find anything else?"

"Who?" Eric replied curiously.

Skye ran a hand through her hair fiercely. "You irritate me so much, Erickson."

"What's going on?" I asked, suddenly disheartened by the intensity of Skye's gaze and her strange question for her brother. "Is everything all right?"

"It's fine, Bella," she said between her teeth, and, after a deep breath, happily added, "How are you doing today?"

"I'm okay." I narrowed my eyes, thoroughly confused by her change of temper.

"Really?" Skye raised her eyebrows and smirked, like she knew something that I didn't. "I heard that Newton tried to claim you."

I groaned and let my head fall to the desk, remembering the hopefulness and the disappointment in Mike's eyes. "Please, don't remind me."

"I also heard," she said and, as I lifted my head, I saw her thrust a pointed finger in Eric's direction, "that you named Bella as your girlfriend."

"I hardly think that's anyone's business," Eric replied with an annoyed expression. "Except for Bella and I, that is."

"Well, whatever happened," Skye waved her hand in the air, "the entire school is talking about it."

"Great," I grumbled, not happy that I was in the spotlight again. I could only imagine what everyone was saying, especially since Eric was the first guy, since Edward, to show favor towards me. "This is going to be a nightmare."

"Well." Eric reached over and rubbed my back, his icy touch sending a tingle up my spine. "If you'd like to leave, I could think of a million things for us to do."

I bit my bottom lip and considered his offer, which wasn't sounding bad at all. Mike was in two of my other classes, and the last thing I wanted was to explain being Eric's girlfriend; especially when I wasn't entirely sure if that's what I wanted to be. Time alone with Eric would also allow me to discuss this "girlfriend" status some more.

"What time?" I asked as the rest of the class began talking louder as the class wore on."Lunch?"

"Where should I meet you?" I asked, already set on taking another day off from school. At this point, I didn't really care too much about school, my life seemed to be going in so many different directions, I hadn't really given much thought to my studies.

"I'll find you," Eric leaned over and whispered in my ear, making my skin burst into goose bumps.

By the end of my last class before lunch, I was ready to kill the world. Every single class I had been in, after English, had been filled with endless questions about Eric and I. Jessica, despite Lauren's scornful glares, demanded tons of information about my newfound "boyfriend".

"Why didn't you tell me you two were dating?" Jessica asked with an injured expression. She was probably recalling when I had opened up to her about Edward back in the early spring.

"W-Well," I stuttered and tried to find a good reason but I just came up short. I decided it was best to be as honest as possible with it. "We've been taking it slow, keeping it under the radar."

"Oh," she said sneakily, her mouth forming a perfect O. "You're hiding him from Charlie, aren't you?"

"No," I said and my brow indented at her strange expression. "He's met Charlie already."

"Well, isn't that lovely," Lauren said viciously behind Jessica, and, as I turned to her, she sneered at me. "It's great to see you moving on, Bella."

"I guess," I muttered and turned around, not wanting to incur anymore of Lauren's anger by making a sarcastic retort. Not to mention, I still wasn't completely sure that I was capable of moving on. Edward and the Cullens took everything I had when they left, and, true, I had slowly started to get some of it back. But, I just didn't know if it was enough.

Then again, after hearing what Eric told me about Carlisle, I had started to wonder if I ever knew the Cullens at all. I mean, who knows what they had done in the years prior to meeting me. If Carlisle could condemn someone who had come to the Volturi for help, what else was he capable of? Maybe it was Carlisle who decided that the Cullens move to begin with.

_I wish Ary was here._

I missed her now more than ever. Since Eric had opened up about the history of the McRae family, I had so many questions for my best friend, and I had no way of contacting her. _Then again, _I thought as I headed out of the classroom, _Ary would probably give me some cryptic answer that_ _would have me up at night thinking. _Still, I couldn't help the longing I had to see my best friend.

Eric was waiting for me outside the classroom, a smile etched across his face as he leaned against the lockers. I smiled, a little bit more relaxed in his presence, and let him take my backpack.

"Is everything all right?" he asked, his eyebrows pulled together in a show of concern as he stared at my face. "You seem a little sad."

I was going to tell him that everything was fine, but something told me that he'd see right through the lie. So, instead, I told him what was bothering me. "I miss Ary."

He nodded and his smile fell. "You and I both, Bella."

"Any idea on when she'll come back?" I implored, curious to know what she was doing in Seattle that was keeping her there. Eric sighed and shook his head. "We've had no contact from her, Bella," he lifted his eyes slowly, a pained look on his face, "it's the first time I've feared for my sister."

"Why?" I asked as he guided me towards the exit doors. "What's going on in Seattle to begin with?"

"It's not important, Bella," he said in a flat, emotionless tone. "We'd know if she was dead."

"Oh, well that's reassuring." I threw my hands up with an aggravated sigh before crossing them at my chest and scowling at the world in front of me.

"Have faith," Eric said softly as we crossed the parking lot. "Aryana is probably one of the strongest creatures on Earth—she has strong teeth too."

"What?" My eyebrows rose curiously at his last comment.

"I'll show you later."

We both climbed into his silver Mercedes and, after starting the engine, he drove away from the school quickly. As I let my eyes wander over the campus and surrounding forest, I did a quick double take. I stared at an outcropping of dense foliage and trees, searching desperately. My eyes poured over the space as best as they could while Eric drove us further away. I sighed, frustrated that we were now out of range for my human eyes to see anything, because, I was more than certain, I had see someone standing in the forest watching us.

Someone tall, who was wearing black pants and a black shirt, with long whitish, blonde hair.

I wasn't sure why I didn't tell Eric about the strange figure I'd seen outside school; maybe I thought I had imagined it or maybe I didn't want him to think I was crazy. Whatever the reason, when he asked me what was wrong, I immediately smiled and answered, "Nothing."

So, instead of jumping on the highway and heading towards his home, as usual, Eric turned away from the highway and started making his way towards my house.

"Where are we going?"

"Your house," Eric replied jovially and, upon seeing the confusion in my eyes, added, "We're always at my home, Bella. While I don't mind spending time there, I think it's only fair if I get to see your room."

"Oh…okay." I was immediately tense. Not because Eric and I would be alone in my house, but because I worried that Charlie would come home and attempt to shoot Eric. The thought made me giggle as I thought of the bullet bouncing off Eric like Superman, but I cringed when I thought of the massive coronary Charlie might have after seeing that.

"Is that acceptable, Bella?" Eric asked as we turned down my street slowly.

My eyes poured over the houses of my neighbors, looking to see if anyone was out in their front yard. I wasn't completely surprised to see that their yards were empty, given that it was close to freezing outside. My eyes continued to scour the tiny cottage-like homes skeptically, paranoid that someone was watching us through a crack in their curtains.

"Y-Yeah," I said, my voice far-away, as I narrowed my eyes towards a cat cleaning itself on the front step of a house. When I was satisfied with the lack of life on my street, I almost jumped at the feeling of icy fingers on my shoulder.

Eric looked at me apologetically. "Are you sure you're okay, Bella?"

"I'm just a little on edge." He gave me a pointed look and I added, "I'm not sure how my dad would feel about us being alone at the house."

"I see." Eric turned away and appeared to ponder over something. Whatever it was, he appeared to have a hard time with it. His brow knit heavily and he clenched his jaws together. "Bella, there's something that I've wanted to talk with you about, but I've never had the chance."

My stomach tightened as I mulled over all subjects he could talk to me about. What was it and why did it look like it bothered him so much?

"Okay," I said, a little nervously, and turned to him as we pulled to a stop outside my house.

He took a deep breath and, after looking at everything but me, finally spoke. "Where did the Cullens live?"

My back straightened as he asked one question I hadn't thought of. "The…Cullens? Why?"

"After Ary and I made our agreement," I cringed at the memory of the pact between Ary and Eric: one day, Ary would ask Eric to kill her and he would oblige. "I traveled back to the home that I shared with my wife. It was very emotional and extremely painful, but, afterward, I felt like I had a bit of closure."

I stared at him blankly, not fully understanding what he was implying. Was he suggesting that I go to the Cullens' home? What would I do there, bask in the glory of my past? I narrowed my eyes at Eric, not liking where this conversation was going.

"I think you should do the same thing," Eric finished and looked away.

"Are you nuts?" Looking back, it probably wasn't the most mature response, but I couldn't think of any other way to explain my emotions. I stared at Eric as my emotions coursed through me: confusion, bewilderment, and any other noun that seemed appropriate.

"Hear me out?" he pleaded and I begrudgingly nodded. "Despite the fact that they aren't there and you won't be talking to them, you'll be facing your past regardless. If you do wish to move on, Bella, you have to come to terms with the demons that broke you."

"But…I…no…I can't," I stammered, hearing the truth behind his words and not wanting to accept it. "Eric, it's harder than you think."

He lowered his eyes. "I know how hard it is."

I was immediately hit with pangs of guilt. True, Edward had left and taken his family with him, but, Eric's wife had been untimely ripped away from him. My misery due to being dumped seemed insignificant next to his heartbreak.

"Eric," I said softly and he turned to look at me. "We can try, I don't think it's going to work, but I'm willing."

Eric nodded, and turned the engine back on. With a turn of the wheel, we were heading back towards the highway and towards the heart of my past.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: **Broken Walls.**

The green canopy of trees hung over me, shielding my tiny frame from the light drizzle that had started falling. My heart pounded in my chest and I trembled as I stood in the face of my past. Feeling small and insignificant in its presence, I glared up at the massive home, which held so many memories.

I peeked over my shoulder and saw Eric, leaning against his car, still looking worried. It had been his idea to come up here, and, like the masochist I was, I had agreed. Some part of me believed him when he said this would help me move on. Maybe he was right, but it all came down to the question: did I want to move on?

With a hesitant sigh, I took a step forward, bringing me closer to my past than I had been in the past two months. Each step I took filled me with excitement and dread; what was I going to find? Would I see anything that I didn't wish to see? The questions were endless, while the number of steps it would take to carry me into the Cullens' home were limited.

I climbed the stairs, feeling my body weigh down with all the memories that were resurfacing, and before long, I was facing the ornate wooden door that led to the inside of my previous world. With one more look back at Eric, I sighed, and touched the doorknob. I was deeply surprised to find that it was open; I didn't think the Cullens would leave their possessions so unguarded while they were away. Then again, if any criminals did try to break in, Alice would see them. My brow knit heavily as I thought of the smallest Cullen; was she watching Eric and I right now?

_Probably not. _If she had been watching, then she must not be interested. I pushed the door open and immediately grasped the threshold paneling. My heart thudded so hard I could hear it in my ears, and my breath quickened exponentially. My eyes raked over everything that I saw, afraid that the tiniest detail would vanish with time.

Everything was just like I remember it.

The front room, where Edward and I had celebrated my birthday with the others, was just like it was a few months ago. The furniture was covered with delicate white sheets, to prevent dust, and the walls were bare. The normal family pictures and heirlooms were nowhere to be seen, probably locked away in storage somewhere.

My eyes watered up as I moved through the room, and, in the corner, I spotted a strange silhouette under a black cloth. I ripped the covering away, anxious to see what I hoped was not there, and stumbled backwards, chest heaving. Underneath the tarp was a brand new piano, just like the one Jasper had crushed after Edward kept him from attacking me.

Like the piano, I was replaceable.

My face fell a little and I moved away from the giant musical instrument, not wanting to dwell on my inadequacies any further. I found myself traveling upstairs, letting my hands trail over the walls that used to be covered with portraits. The three story house had so many areas that I had yet to truly explore, and, as painful as it was going to be, I planned to do just that.

The first door I came to was one I had only been in a handful of times; Carlisle and Esme's room. I opened the door and smiled, feeling a little closer to them as I moved through the space. The walls were a dark tinted, perhaps cherry wood or mahogany, and were littered with books. Every wall seemed to be a bookshelf of some kind. In the far corner, I noticed a small chess board, which I had seen downstairs on previous occasions.

Unlike Edward's room, Carlisle and Esme's had a bed, and I flushed a little as I wondered what it could be for. I turned my eyes away, suddenly embarrassed, and moved slowly towards their closet, wondering what I would find there.

My brow deepened as I opened the door and found their closet fully stocked. The walk-in area was vast, miniscule when compared to Alice's, and completely jam packed with clothing. My chest heaved and I plunged my face into their belongings, inhaling deeply. Their scent still clung to everything, and I basked in the sweet aroma. It was like they were here with me, right now.

"Oh, god," I sobbed and gripped the clothing, letting my tears fall onto the fabric. "I miss you all, so much."

I stayed there for a few extra minutes, allowing myself to fantasize that they were truly here, before straightening up the clothes and shutting the door. As I distanced myself from Carlisle and Esme's room, I felt a little bit more whole. I couldn't rightly explain it, nor did I care to, all I knew was that I felt a little less empty.

Drying my tears with my sleeve, I moved to the next room on the second floor, one that I had never been in before; Rosalie and Emmett's room. Despite the fact that I knew no one was here except for me, I still looked down the hall cautiously. Entering Rosalie's room made me feel ashamed, since I was doing it behind her back. Rosalie had never shown me anything but hostility and an unwelcoming attitude. Despite all my attempts, she had refused to display any form of decency towards me; so, by the end of the summer, I had stopped trying all together.

Emmett was a different story all together; he welcomed me with two immense open arms. He had even stood up for me when Rosalie had verbally attacked me. He truly was the big brother I never had. I pushed the door open and had to take a step back; the room was so big and so beautiful. Like Edward, Rosalie and Emmett did not have a bed, but they made up for it with the amount of fainting sofas and love seats.

Each and every piece of furniture was adorned with bright crimson and black upholstery. A light smile tugged at my lips as I mentally noted that the room looked like Belle Whatley's from Gone with the Wind. I stood in the doorway, not daring to move further inside. Despite the fact that the front door was open, an unspoken invitation, I just couldn't bring myself to go deeper into Rosalie and Emmett's room. So, with a light sigh, I pulled the door shut.

The last remaining doors were places I'd been before; Carlisle's study and the Cullens' enormous library. During the final months of school, Edward and Alice had tutored me and helped me get all A's in my classes. I had also gotten the chance to pick Carlisle's brain on more than one occasion in his study.

As I headed up the staircase, I felt a little bit more of myself lighten. The heavy memories didn't seem so enormous now; they felt like wisps of air, frolicking through my brain. A small, subdued smile spread across my face as I found myself on the third floor. Once there, the smile vanished, because I knew what was awaiting me at the end of the hall: Edward's room.

I positioned myself in front of a door that I had become quite familiar with in the summertime—Alice's room. She had insisted that I spend as much time as possible with her, when I wasn't with Edward anyway. With a deep breath, I pushed open the door and, once again, grasped the side of the threshold.

Alice's bedroom was a soft pink color, filled with different knick knacks. As I moved deeper into the room, I inhaled deeply and smiled as Alice's fragrant smell filtered into my nostrils. Every one of the Cullens had their own odor that was intoxicating and pleasant; Alice's reminded me of spring rain and sunshine.

Alice's bedroom was huge, much larger than any of the other rooms— including Rosalie's. Edward had told me once that the Cullens had knocked down a wall to give her and Jasper more room. I craned my neck around a corner and spied Jasper's study, complete with a desk and multiple bookshelves.

Turning back towards Alice's part of the space, I noticed that the closet door was partially opened. With a deep breath, I opened the massive closet and smiled softly. Like Carlisle and Esme's bedroom, Alice and Jasper's closet was packed tightly with clothing, and, just like before, I thrust my head into the fabric and inhaled deeply. Hundreds of memories came rushing back to me as the glorious scent washed through me. I could almost see Alice painting my toe nails, and could barely hear her speaking softly to me as she helped me into the shower while my leg had been broken.

I sighed and wiped a stray tear from my cheek, and backed up slowly. With a gentle smile, I shut the closet, and internally shut another door. Once I was in the hallway, my appendages temporarily froze as I realized what was waiting for me at the end of the hallway; Edward's room. My gut told me that this was going to be the hardest yet, but I knew that I had to do it—I had to walk through the doorway and into the room that belonged to the love of my life.

Each footstep seemed to carry me further away, because every time I looked up, the door appeared farther away. However, after a solid minute of carefully thought out steps, I looked up and found a wooden door staring directly into me.

I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat, and counted to ten, which didn't help the anxiety that was pulsing through my veins now. After two more minutes, I grasped the doorknob, and, after closing my eyes, I opened the door.

I wasn't sure how long I stood there, eyes shut, but I finally gained enough courage to raise my eyelids.

My bottom lip quivered and my legs buckled, sending my body hurdling towards the carpet. Once on the ground, the ache in my stomach ripped through me, setting my insides ablaze. I gasped as the pain, which I hadn't felt in so long, racked my body and debilitated me.

Edward's room was exactly how it was the last time I was here. I lifted my head, needing to see if what I saw was true, and sobbed as my second look confirmed the first. Edward's music-filled walls were still littered with CDs, his leather sofa was still placed in the room, and his desk was still covered with books and journals.

_He just picked up and left everything._

I hobbled forward, still in agonizing pain over this, and found myself at his desk. My eyes poured over the schoolwork, the journals, and finally rested on a picture frame turned around. My eyes narrowed as I grabbed it and looked at the picture it held. My hands released the tiny frame like a hot coal had burned by palm. It was a portrait of me.

I had never seen this one before. I was laying on my bed, my head buried in Wuthering Heights, in my pajamas. A soft smile was spread across my face and I looked completely enveloped in what I was reading. _Where did_ _this come from?_

As I leaned over to pick it up, I found a crumpled letter, and, despite my opposition to snooping, I uncurled.

_My name is Edward Cullen, and I've just lied to the only woman I will ever love—Isabella Marie Swan…_

My entire body convulsed and I crumpled up the paper before reading anymore and threw it across the room. "Oh Edward," I cried and once again fell to the floor. "How could you do this to me?"

My sobs were deafening me now, reverberating off the walls, and echoing down the hallway. All of a sudden a loud crash from just outside distracted me from my grief temporarily enough to remember the person who had brought me here. I felt mortified when I realized that Eric could probably hear my breakdown from outside. _He must think I'm an absolute nutcase!_ _But what on Earth was that noise?_

The thought of Eric somehow gave me enough strength to raise and lug my aching body to the window. Once there, I glanced down, anticipating seeing an empty driveway, but was shocked at what I saw. Eric was standing far from his car, hands gripped into his hair, and beside him was an uprooted tree. My mouth fell open as he turned his face towards the sky, allowing the drizzling rain to hit his face, and I saw his expression. I had seen him happy, serious, and slightly disturbed, but I had never seen him like this; Eric looked tortured.

_What's wrong with him?_

I instinctively wanted to run to him, to find out what was hurting him and do what I could to stop it. Why did I feel like this? My teeth ground together as I tried to figure out this conundrum. My every being ached to comfort him, but my rational side denied these feelings; I was completely torn in two. As I stared down at him, Eric leaned against another tree and let his head fall to his hands, his chest heaving.

"Eric," I called out, though curious, unable to observe his strange suffering any longer. His head snapped up and his eyes immediately found me staring at him from the third floor. My chest was rising and falling rapidly and, before I could change my mind, I waved for him to come. "Come here."

Eric's form blurred and, before I could blink, he was beside me. I jumped a little and he stopped a few feet away from me, a strange expression on his face.

"Bella," he said my name like he was out of breath, although I knew that wasn't the case. "Is everything all right?"

"I was about to ask you the same question," I said anxiously as his eyes poured over me frantically.

"I heard you," he said and lowered his head, appearing ashamed. "I'm sorry, I tried to give you privacy, but I was so worried when I heard you crying. I think I've made a terrible mistake bringing you here."

I smiled softly and took his chilly hands in mine. "I'm fine."

"You've been crying." It was an observation, not a question.

"Yes," I agreed and cringed, realizing that I must look horrible, but refocused as his golden eyes burned into me. The look on his face told me he probably didn't believe me, especially with all the crying her heard. "It was…overwhelming, but you were right. I think it did help—a little."

He nodded quickly and lowered his eyes again.

My heart began to pound as I stared at him, not sure what to say. Eric had gone out of his way to help me with no hidden agenda. His kindness had known no limit. Even when I had called him Edward while kissing him, he was quick to forgive and forget that. Why couldn't I allow myself to be with him fully?

_My name is Edward Cullen, and I've just lied to the only woman I will ever love…_

My thoughts immediately went back to Edward and the note I had found. I turned slightly over my shoulder and gazed at the crumpled up piece of paper on the floor. My heartbeat quickened as I wondered what else that single piece of paper could contain. Moreover, why did it say that he loved me—in Edward's handwriting?

_What harm would there be in simply reading the remainder?_

With a deep breath, I turned away from Eric and picked up the paper, which had fallen close to the wall of windows. I held it in my hands, turning the crumpled ball over and over again, before deciding to unravel it. Once I did, I held it face down, feeling like I was intruding on Edward's personal thoughts. With a small hope I turned over the page and began reading.

_My name is Edward Cullen, and I've just lied to the only woman I will ever love—Isabella Marie Swan. I promised that I would not submit her to anything torturous on her birthday, but I was wrong. How could I have been so irresponsible? This entire catastrophe was my fault; Bella just hasn't seen it yet. This is going to be…_

The words trailed off, as Edward appeared to have stopped writing. I shook my head and couldn't help the soft smile that spread across my face, remembering how he always blamed himself for everything. As I turned back towards Eric, I caught a small glimpse of the massive forest surrounding the house, and was immediately plunged into one of my darkest memories.

_My kind are easily distracted…_

I clenched my hands into fists as Edward's parting words ricocheted through my mind. Eric stared at me curiously, and, as I gazed back at him, I had an epiphany. I was afraid of being Eric's distraction, just like I had been Edward's. It was so simple and yet it had taken me time to really grasp the truth. As I continued to look at Eric, I knew that I had to talk to him about it, if I ever wanted to move on. My heartbeat picked up again, thumping loudly, and I couldn't help but wonder if I had enough courage to do it.

_You just walked into Edward's room—I'm pretty sure you have enough courage._

"E-Eric" I stuttered and he cocked his head sideways. "I need to talk to you about something…something important."

"You have my undivided attention, Bella," he said and narrowed his eyes curiously. A gentle smile tugged at the end of his frown, which caused a bit of happiness to blossom in my heart.

As I tried to find the words to explain my worries that he would love me and leave me, as Edward had, my eyes continuously caught sight of different objects that held happy memories for me. The agonizing pain my chest was not as bad, but still there.

"Um, could we go outside first? I can't be in here anymore."

He nodded and, after descending the staircase and giving the house one last look, we took a seat on the porch. "What's on your mind?" Eric asked, his mood seeming a little lighter now.

"Eric, I think I know how you feel about me," I started and I noticed his posture tense significantly, but I continued. "I need you to know that I _want_ to feel the same way, but I'm afraid."

He twisted his body and leaned towards me, his eyes pleading. "Bella, please don't tell me you're afraid of me."

"No," I insisted and shook my head. "Eric, I'm not afraid of you. This is really difficult for me to say."

"Take your time," he said as he leaned back, his eyes still heavy with concern.

"Eric, do you know what Edward said to me when he left?" My voice lowered as my memories traveled backwards in time to that fateful afternoon when Edward had led me into the woods. "He told me that he didn't want me, that I was just a distraction."

I couldn't raise my eyes to see Eric's reaction, I was afraid that if I moved, the pain might return full force. "I'm afraid that if I l-let myself b-be with yyou," I choked out as the tears began to fall, "that I-I'll b-be h-hurt again."

My arms wrapped around me tightly, almost cutting off the air, as I tried to hold myself together anyway I could. As my body began to tremble, I couldn't help how weak and vulnerable I felt. Why had I put myself in this position?

Before I could answer my own question, Eric's soft voice called me from the depths of my despair. "Bella." I looked at him and found his eyes smoldering and glistening as he stared into me. His bottom lip quivered and our eyes remained locked. "I love you."

I couldn't help the sharp sob that cut through me like a knife, forcing my body forward. Eric reached out and caught me, pulling me close to his chest. The tears spilled from my eyes and dampened his shirt, and I continued to cry into him, no longer wondering if he thought I was crazy.

"If you're a distraction, Bella," he said as he pulled away to look at me, "then I'll let you distract me for all eternity."

"Y-You l-love me?"

He laughed and shook his head, staring at me like I was insane. "You silly human," he said and kissed my forehead. "I go mad at night without you."

The intensity of his gaze warmed me and my head was reeling as his words sunk in.

"The question is," he said, his voice suddenly becoming worried, "how do you feel about me?"

I gulped heavily as the moment of truth finally reached me. _This is it, I either tell him how I feel or push him away. What's it going to be? _Myeyes lowered as I debated with myself over the future of Eric and myrelationship; what was I going to do?

"Bella," Eric's hold on me loosened as he pulled away, filling me with a wave of dread at the separation. "I'm yours, whether you like it or not. My heart no longer belongs to me; it's in your safe keeping. The only thing I need you to tell me is who you belong to. If you don't want me, then I'll leave you be, but I need to know."

My breath quickened as I thought of all the reasons I shouldn't let myself fall for Eric. However, the only thoughts popping in my mind were memories of his smile and kind words. A smile spread across my face as I recalled the horrible date we went on, but recalled the way he looked at me.

_Take a chance for once._

I closed my eyes and looked up at Eric, his face expectant and guarded. With a small smile, I wrapped my arms around him and pressed lips softly to his, relishing the chill that spread through my lips. When I pulled away, I sighed and said, "I'm yours."

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><p><em>Author's Note: repost <em>


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: **Ira & Dante.**

I awoke the next morning with a sense of all encompassing jubilee and enthusiasm. Not only had I taken two major steps in my relationship with Eric—kissing him and agreeing to be his girlfriend—but I had also gotten a wonderful night's sleep without any nightmares. My stomach erupted with a swarm of butterflies as I thought about the kiss I shared with Eric the previous evening. It had started out gentle and slow, but rapidly became rushed and passionate—something I'd never experienced with Edward.

More and more, I was realizing that the differences between Edward and Eric were pleasing to me. While Edward had been guarded in my presence, always worried that he might lose control, Eric was free and blissful with me, which made me feel wanted. I showered and dressed quickly, opting for a purple long sleeve shirt and

a pair of jeans, before heading downstairs for breakfast. I wasn't surprised that Charlie was already at work, he was normally gone by the time I awoke, but was a little confused when I found a note taped to the refrigerator.

_Bella, let me know what you want to do about Thursday –Dad._

My head tilted sideways as I tried to think of what I had obviously forgotten. _Thursday? _My mind had been so consumed with the McRaes and Eric that everything else seemed to have slipped by unnoticed. Despite all my hard concentrating, I couldn't figure out what Charlie meant, so I decided to ask him about it later.

I settled in at the table with a bowl of cereal and a goofy smile plastered on my face. If I was being honest with myself, I couldn't recall the last time I'd felt this way. Even with the Cullens, I'd felt awkward and inadequate; why was it so different with Eric and his family?

A knock at the front door shook me from my musings, and, after tossing the remains of my breakfast in the sink, I opened the front door. Much to my surprise, I found twin pairs of honey colored eyes staring at me, belonging to the most unlikely pair of vampires: Ira and Dante.

"Good morning, Bella," Ira chimed and smiled at me, her arm linked with Dante's.

"Your car service has arrived," Dante said with a wide grin and gestured to the waiting SUV behind him.

"Car service?" I quirked an eyebrow and inspected the expensive looking vehicle, which I had seen before, waiting in a patch of fresh snow. Sometime in the past eight hours, Forks had been shrouded in a winter wonderland of fresh snow. Despite my loathing for all things cold and wet, my mood couldn't be dampened.

"Are you ready?" Dante asked, after half a minute of silence.

"Oh," I stuttered and my face flushed a bit. "You guys don't have to do this, I mean, I have a truck."

I pointed to my red monster, which looked frozen solid under a bed of fresh snow and ice. Balking at the sight of it, I found Ira and Dante chuckling at my appearance. Rubbing my hand behind my neck, I weighed my options; I could get dressed and spend the next half an hour trying to defrost the outside of my car, and, in the process, probably slip a dozen times, or I could ride with Ira and Dante.

I didn't have to be a rocket scientist to see the obviousness of my choices. So, with a resigned smile, I invited them in while I finished getting ready. Ira and Dante were still very mysterious to me; I had gotten to know almost all the other McRaes except them. Whenever I sat with their family during lunch, they seemed to disappear into their own little bubble, which made the desire to learn more about them than much stronger.

"So, where are the others?" I asked as I carried my backpack down the stairs and found them snuggling on the living room sofa. It was wonderful that the sight of such affection didn't cause an intense in my chest.

"The family went…hunting." Ira's voice faltered a little bit but, when I looked in her direction, her face was perfectly composed. "Avarice, Argos, Dante, and I stayed behind."

That meant that Skye, Melena, and Eric were gone. An unsettling feeling washed through me and I felt the distance between Eric and I briefly. I pulled my heavy jacket on and sighed as I buttoned it, wishing that he was here.

"How long will they be gone?" I implored as I picked up my backpack from the floor, ready to leave for school.

Ira and Dante rose, in the same graceful manner, from the couch and began ushering me out the door. It wasn't until we were outside, and I had locked the door, that they answered my question.

"They should be back very soon," Dante said, his crisp English accent soothing me. "They weren't planning on going very far."

"Eric said he'll try to be back by lunch," Ira said with a tiny smile, which I assumed meant she knew that Eric and I had decided to officially become a couple.

"Well, there's no need to rush," I insisted and shrugged as we all climbed into the warm SUV. "I mean, hunting is important, I'll be fine."

Ira and Dante exchanged looks before we headed to school. Some part of me couldn't help but wonder if they were telling me the truth. The glances I received from Dante in the rearview mirror, and the flighty responses Ira gave me were starting to sound odd. Regardless of what was going on, I felt best not to push, I didn't want to annoy them—and I could always ask Eric when he resurfaced.

Upon arriving to school, I was surprised by how quickly my chauffeurs ushered me into the school and out of the frigid weather. They talked continuously about their classes and inquired as to my plans for Thursday.

"Why?" I asked, curious how everyone could have plans for Thursday when I wasn't even sure what it was. "What's on Thursday?"

"You don't know?" Ira looked at me in disbelief and, after I shook my head, she added, "Bella, it's Thanksgiving. I thought all American's celebrated that holiday."

I stopped as I walked right into a reality check; it was already the end of November? My mouth gaped wide as I marveled at the fact that so much time had gone by. It seemed like just a few days ago that Ary had introduced herself to me and I had found out all about the McRaes.

My hand came up to my forehead with a soft smack. "That's what Charlie was talking about!"

"Who's Charlie?" Dante responded with a curious cocked head, which almost made me laugh.

"My dad," I replied and groaned as I realized I would probably be cooking all day on Thursday. Making a large meal actually didn't sound that bad—I hadn't been able to cook since Ary came over—so I made a resolve to stop by the grocery store after school. I refocused on my current conversation with the McRaes and found them both staring at me with playful smiles.

"You call your own father 'Charlie'?" Ira's eyebrows rose and she snickered at me, which, in turn, made my cheeks flush a bright red.

"Y-Yeah," I stumbled a bit, and, after a beat, added, "that's what happens when your parents are divorced."

"I'm sorry, we don't follow," Ira replied after a short look to Dante that ended with a simultaneous headshake.

"Oh." I exhaled, wondering how much I should delve into my personal life. I didn't want to bore them too much. "Well, growing up, my mom would always refer to my dad as 'Charlie', so that's what I knew him as."

"How very odd," said Ira with a disapproving stare.

"Were your parents any better, dear?" Dante quipped humorously, which caught her attention in less than half a second, before turning to me. "Ira's parents sent her to live with her wealthy Uncle, so she'd have more of 'a chance'."

"A chance?"

"Dante," Ira warned and narrowed her eyes. "I've told you, leave my family out of this."

"But they only reason they sent you to your Uncle's estate," he challenged firmly, "was so you could impress one of the local Lords."

Ira's eyes fell to the floor and a disheartening frown spread across her face. With a deep sigh, she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself. The sight reminded me of myself; whenever I'd wanted to fortify myself against the pain of my memories in the past, I would do just such a thing. I would close myself off.

I reached forward and tenderly touched Ira's shoulder, and, as her eyes

opened and found mine, I smiled at her. "I'm sure your parents were sad to see you go, Ira."

The smile she gave me was small, but it was there nonetheless. She exhaled loudly and threw an agitated look at her husband, who stroked her long dark hair. He leaned in and whispered something to her. Whatever he said, it did the trick, because her smile became larger and she kissed him softly on the cheek. All was right again.

At some point, I had apparently become the official liaison for the McRae family, for, as soon as it became apparent that Ira and Dante were the only ones in school, all my human friends came to me with questions about the absence of the others. While I sat in Spanish class, Jessica attempted to get more and more information from me about the McRaes, their lack of appearance in school, and my newfound relationship with Erickson.

"Bella!" Jessica whispered loudly as the teacher wrote a practice sentence on the board. Seeing no way of avoiding her, I turned to her and raised my eyebrows in a questioning manner. "So, where are the McRaes at?"

at?"

"They're doing some family thing," I said offhandedly and shrugged.

"Then why are those other two here?" she pressed, her eyes challenging me to find an excuse.

"How should I know?" I whispered harshly, thoroughly annoyed with Jessica's incessant nosey questions. Why couldn't she just leave me alone? "Ira told me that Melena, Eric, and Skye are out of town at the moment."

"I'd be careful if I were you, Bella," Jessica replied in a snobby, know-it-all voice.

The teacher turned around and glared at the two of us, forcing us into silence. However, I couldn't help the aching curiosity to know what Jessica meant. So, when the Senora turned her back to us again, I softly tore a sheet of paper from my spiral and wrote down a question before handing it to Jessica.

_What do you mean by that?_

Jessica read the note and scoffed softly before replying. _Your boyfriend went out of town with two girls who are, let's face it Bella,_ _more attractive than you._ _Aren't you just the tiniest bit curious what they're doing? _Jessica's words were venomous and suggested that Eric would cheat on me with his own family.

The fact that she didn't know anything about them reassured me that she was, and always would be, an idiot. I rolled my eyes and folded up the paper knowing, wherever he was, I could trust Eric.

This wasn't the end of Jessica's interrogation though. As I headed out of Spanish, she practically latched onto me, questions spilling endlessly from her mouth, like a faucet. My head was spinning by the time I reached my next class and shook her off. She felt like a leech—draining all the energy and emotion from me.

Unfortunately, I was walking into math class, which meant Mike would be waiting for me. We hadn't spoken since Eric confronted him in the parking lot the day before, so I wasn't sure how he was going to act around me. I took a deep breath, as I caught sight of his back turned towards me, and headed in the classroom.

"Hey Bella!" Eric Yorkie chimed as I crossed in front of their group, and I stopped to smile at him and Mike.

"Hey, guys," I greeted them softly and acknowledged each of them: Eric, Ben, Angela, and, last but not least, Mike.

"Hi, Bella," Mike muttered without genuinely looking at me.

Part of me wanted to apologize for Eric's behavior, but the other part of me was happy that Mike was no longer panting over me like a thirsty dog. So, I merely heaved a sigh and returned my attention to the others who were speaking to me.

"Hey, where are the rest of your buddies?" Ben asked politely as he gripped Angela's hand under the desk. "They're usually in the parking lot when I get here every morning."

"Oh, yeah," I nodded and shrugged, "a few of them had to go out of town for the day, I think. But, they might be back before school ends today."

"Really?" Mike cringed as if I had said the McRaes had gone to steal cars. "Man, if I got the day off, I'd spend it relaxing at home."

"Same here!" Ben agreed and added, "Total X-box party!"

"Dude, word!" Mike jeered and high fived Eric.

The bell rang, startling me a bit, and I moved to take my seat next to Angela. She smiled timidly at me before opening her book and pulling out a pencil. Angela was one of my favorite friends. She didn't press like Jessica, and she wasn't overbearing like Mike—she was perfect.

For the next hour, rather than think about Eric's absence—as I would have with Edward—I completely engulfed myself in equations and numbers. Since I had been neglecting my studies, I found that I had a lot to catch up on. I leaned against my elbow and studied the problem in front of me intensely, trying to figure out if I was supposed to move the one to right or left of the equal sign, when a sudden chill swept through my body.

My brow furrowed as I turned my attention to my forearm, and noticed that all the hair was standing straight up. My skin was covered with goose bumps as well, which I found extremely odd, given I wasn't cold. This reaction only came with one other incident; I felt like I was being watched.

My eyes panned around the room, as I wondered if one of my classmates could be watching me, but everyone's eyes were facing their own papers. I turned my attention back to the worksheet in front of me, and, not knowing why, I turned my head to stare out the window.

The parking lot was devoid of any life, and, with the exception of the cars, it was remarkably empty. At this time a day, so close to lunch, it would normally see teachers hurrying to their cars or returning from picking up food. Today, there was nothing.

As my gaze roamed over the parking lot, a sudden burst of color caught my attention, and, what I saw made my mouth hang open. Standing beyond the lot, almost hidden among the thick brush, was the same white-blonde individual from the day before.

In the muddled daylight, I could tell that the stranger's hair was extremely light blonde, not white. The brilliant locks of hair fell to the shoulders of the strange individual, who was staring straight at me.

"Miss Swan?" I jumped as the instructor called my name, and cringed as I saw his annoyed expression. "Is there something interesting outside?"

My face flushed heavily as I shook my head and lowered my eyes to the math problems.

As I diligently returned to my studies, I chanced one last look out the window; the stranger was gone.

By the time lunch rolled around, I was still nervous about seeing the strange person again. I couldn't stop wondering whether I was really seeing him, or if he were a figment of my imagination; after all, it wouldn't have been the first time I hallucinated. To be honest, I didn't even know if what I'd seen was a man or a woman.

Regardless, I once again found myself debating whether or not I should mention it to the McRaes. I finally decided that silence was the best option. If there was a problem, then they would certainly pick up on it and warn me—that's what the Cullens always did.

_But the McRaes aren't the Cullens._

In spite of my subconscious logic, I said nothing when Ira and Dante greeted me after math class. They both gave me inquisitive looks when I continuously looked around the courtyard, trying to see if the stranger was anywhere close by.

"Are you all right?" Ira inquired with a tilt of her head.

"I'm fine," I lied, not wanting to alarm them when I didn't know if there was anything to be alarmed about. "Just a little on edge today."

"I can understand that," Dante agreed and, after receiving a look of pure curiosity from Ira, added, "these teenagers are going to be the death of me!"

"Oh, come on," I teased, trying to stick up for my own generation. "Were things really different when you two were my age?"

"Much different!" Dante exclaimed with an overdramatized look of horror.

"Indeed, Bella." Ira nodded and her face took on a wistful expression. "Life back then was…simple."

"How so?" I asked as we took a seat at our normal table, thoroughly intrigued by Ira and Dante's history. Ary had told me they came from an entirely different world that the rest of them, and I was anxious to hear it.

"In my era, Bella," Ira began, leaning closer so that only she, Dante, and I could hear the conversation, "a woman's fate was decided when she was born. My job, as a female, was to marry by a certain age and bear my husband an heir. That was it."

"Whereas, my life," Dante picked up where Ira left off, "was completely free to do as I pleased. A man could marry at any time in his life; only women had a deadline."

"What a wonderful way of putting it, Dante," Ira said, with a hint of sarcasm in her words, and Dante winked at her. "He's definitely right, though. My parents were devastated when I was not married by the age of seventeen. So, they sent me to my Uncle's home."

"Why your Uncle?" I couldn't see how sending Ira to her Uncle's house would get her married any quicker. _Unless they wanted her to marry her_ _Uncle…that's gross._

"My Uncle Phillip was very wealthy," Ira informed me and her wide facial expression gave me an idea of just how wealthy Uncle Phillip was. "My mother and father believed that, if I spent enough time in his estate, I might be introduced to one of Uncle Phillip's rich friends."

I turned my eyes to Dante, who was tracing the contours of his wife's palm with his fingers, and wondered if Dante had been one of those rich friends. It made sense; how else could they have met?

"So, that's how you met Dante," I surmised with a nod.

"Oh, no, Bella," Ira said with a laugh and waved her free hand in front of her. "I didn't meet him until about ten years later. You see, unbeknownst to my Uncle, one of his acquaintances was a vampire. During a party, I was pulled back into one of the empty corridors by a strange, exotic looking man. Being a naïve teenager, I was instantly overwhelmed by his beauty and grace. I was the perfect target."

"What happened?"

"By the time they heard my screams," Ira lowered her eyes to the table, "it was almost too late. The man was about to finish up when my Uncle and a few others discovered us. I don't remember too much of what transpired, but, sometime in the struggle, my Uncle was bitten as well."

"Wait, your Uncle was changed into a vampire?"

"Yes," Ira nodded and chuckled before adding, "he's currently living in London."

"Wow," was all I could think to say. "So, Dante, how do you figure into all this?"

"Ten years after they were changed," Dante said, wrapping his arm around Ira and pulling her a bit closer, "I was sent to work in the house as a field hand and servant. However, once Ira and I set sights on one another, the plans changed."

"Despite my attraction to the help," she said and arched an eyebrow at Dante, who showed a little annoyance at being referred to as _the help_, "I tried my best to stay away from Dante, who found every excuse to see me. It was just as endearing as it was annoying."

"So, then what?" Ira and Dante's story was indeed very simple, so romantic.

"I figured it out," Dante leaned back in his chair, pulling his hands behind his head.

Ira let out an irritated sigh before nodding. "Yes, he did."

"How?" The only reason I had been able to figure out the Cullens were vampires were online research and worming a few bits of Quileute lore from Jacob Black. Since Dante didn't have those advantages, I wondered how he managed to figure out that Ira and her Uncle were vampires.

"He caught us hunting," Ira answered and crossed her arms, giving Dante a look of contempt. "I could have killed you, you know that?"

"She still gets like this, Bella," Dante laughed and kissed Ira on the cheek. "I love your irrelevant concern, darling."

"Well, either way," Ira said and waved Dante away. "My Uncle and I had started experimenting with hunting animals. He had heard about it on a trip to Italy. His estate had plenty of wildlife for us to hunt. This boy was wandering around late one night. I had taken down a decent size buck, and was sating myself, when I looked up and spotted him gawking at me through the moonlight."

"What did you do?" My eyes were wide as I tried to imagine what I would

have done in such a situation. What would've happened if I had seen Edward hunt? I quickly shut down the idea, given that he was so adamant that I would never see him in such a manner.

"She grabbed the deer and ran!" Dante chortled and laughed the hardest I'd ever seen him laugh before. "I had to keep myself from laughing."

"After that," Ira narrowed her eyes at her husband and he smiled broadly at her, "Dante approached my Uncle at the house and revealed that he knew what we were."

"How did you figure it out?" I asked, still unsure how Dante knew about vampires to begin with.

"I was obsessed with them as a child," Dante said, his eyes lighting up with enthusiasm. "My father and Grandfather would tell me stories about them. Of course they weren't fooled by the legends; they knew that vampires wouldn't burn in the sunlight or be killed by a piece of wood. They were smarter than the rest."

"What's it like, I mean, becoming a vampire?" I knew, from my many talks with Edward, that it was painful, but I still wanted to know more. Edward hadn't told me much, since he didn't want me to become like him. Now, I guess, I could see why; he hadn't wanted to deal with me for all eternity.

"It's very painful, Bella," Ira said seriously and, after she shared a look with Dante, added, "you'll know that pain one day."

"What are you talking about?"

"You belong to Eric now, do you not?" Ira looked at me with an exceedingly confused frown.

"I…yes…I guess," I stuttered a bit, still feeling a little weird saying such a thing.

"Then eventually you will be changed like the rest of us," Ira said in a nonchalant voice, like it was no big deal. "So, you will find out for yourself what the change is like."

"You're going to ch-change me?" I could hardly finish the sentence, it sounded too good to be true. Edward was so against me becoming like him that I had written off ever becoming a vampire.

"If it's what you wish," Dante said before adding, "it's what Erickson wants."

My mind was a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts, each one different from the next. My main desire to become a vampire was to be with Edward forever, and, since he obviously didn't feel the same way about me, now immortality seemed pointless. However, the chance to be with the McRaes—especially Ary and Eric—for eternity was sounding pretty darn good.

As I watched Ira and Dante retreat into their little bubble of happiness, I wondered if Eric and I could be like that. In fifty or a hundred years, would we be able to lose ourselves in our own little world, like the two sitting in front of me? The question, so vague and strange, seemed to be important, but, for the moment, I pushed it off and enjoyed the remainder of my lunch.

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><p><em>Author's Note: repost <em>


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: **Strange Happenings.**

Eric still hadn't returned to school by the time the final bell rang, which had me feeling a bit disconcerted. Part of me feared that something had happened to them on their way home, maybe something to do with the individual I'd seen in the woods. I started wondering whether or not I had made the right decision by not telling Ira and Dante about the white-haired stranger. As I met them in the parking lot, I was about to open up about the stranger I had been seeing in the forests, but Dante cut me off.

"They're back," he said with an endearing smile and, after taking in my confused expression, added, "Apparently they ran into traffic on the way back."

"Oh," I replied, still a little stunned, and all thoughts of informing them about the stranger flew away with the chilly wind that tossed my hair. I ran a hand through my wild mane as I thought towards everything I had to do today. I needed to get to the store before all the turkeys were taken. _Oh!_ My hand found my forehead as I realized that, in order to get to the store, I had a truck that was probably an ice cube by now. A groan slipped through my lips as I realized the daunting task of defrosting my vehicle was going to take much longer now than it would have earlier. _Maybe I_ _should have driven myself to school._

"Is everything all right?" Ira inquired and, as I met her gaze, her brow furrowed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I murmured and threw my hands up exasperatedly. "I just remembered that I need to go to the store and my truck is currently frozen."

"Oh, that's not a problem," Ira said in a surprisingly happy tone and rubbed Dante's arm. "We'll take you."

"Oh…no…I couldn't." I waved my hands in front of my body, in a gentle rejection, but their sincere smiles told me they weren't convinced. "I don't want to impose anymore than I have."

"Impose? Never!" Dante grinned and wrapped an arm around me, guiding me towards the SUV in the middle of the parking lot. "It'll be a privilege!"

"Are-Are you sure?"

"Try and stop us, Bella," Ira teased, while I climbed into the car, and shut the door behind me. Once inside, she turned and began talking endlessly the door behind me. Once inside, she turned and began talking endlessly about everything from the gossip at school to Eric. "Did you know that he takes baths for the fun of it?"

"Vampires don't need baths, right?" I remembered Alice mentioning that to me during the summer. She explained that although her kind didn't need baths or showers—because they didn't sweat—they did need a way to clean up. However, never once did she say anything about bathing for fun.

"We certainly don't," Dante chortled and looked at me from the rearview mirror. "Eric has always been a bit of a drama queen."

"Sounds like it," I muttered, not really sure what to say to that. I knew Eric, but not nearly as much as Ira and Dante knew him. From the sound of it, they were a bit irritated by some of his nuances—like bathing—which I didn't see as a big deal.

Once we reached the grocery store, I immediately switched to business mode; having experienced Thanksgiving shopping before, I knew I had to be aggressive. I grabbed a cart and barreled into the shop, with my vampire chauffeurs in tow, and was immediately surprised to see the lack of people. True, Phoenix had a bigger population of last minute shoppers, but this was astounding. The grocery store was empty!

"Uh, wow," I sputtered and stopped where I was, confused by the absence of people in the relatively small store. After rubbing my head, I pushed forward and headed towards the butcher's area. Once there, my stomach dropped as I saw the Turkey section completely diminished. Not one bird was left.

"No turkeys?" Ira inclined an eyebrow as she appeared beside me.

"No turkeys," I confirmed and crossed my arms across my chest with a huff. "Great, now what am I going to do?"

"We could steal one from someone else's house," Dante suggested with a wicked smile. Ira and I both glared at him in response. "Well then, I suggest you pick something else."

"I guess." I had to admit, Dante was right. There was no sense crying over spilled milk, so I turned my attention to the remainder of the poultry aisle. Sitting regally, without a head, staring at me, was a decent-sized large chicken. My stomach rattled as I thought of my recipe for baked chicken, and I placed the plastic covered bird in my basket.

"Chicken?" Ira appraised my choice with a skeptical eye.

"I don't really think it's what we eat that counts," I spat, a little agitated, and headed towards the vegetables. I was relieved to find a good collection of fresh veggies waiting for me. After picking up a few carrots, celery, some squash, and a few other items throughout the store, I paid the clerk and carried the items to the car.

"So, what are your plans for the remainder of the day, Bella?" Ira asked as we rounded the corner to my house.

"Nothing, really," I replied, curious if they were going to invite me to do something. Then again, I wondered if Eric would be happy if I just showed up. Perhaps he wanted some alone time before seeing me. I didn't want to be a nuisance. "I think I'll probably work on some homework or something."

"Nonsense," Ira shook her head as Dante stopped the car in front of my house. "We're heading towards a holiday, Bella; you can't spent time doing homework. Come with us to the house."

"I don't know, guys," I said and climbed out of the SUV. What if I showed up and Eric didn't want to see me? "I don't want to bother anyone."

"Bella," Dante strode forward and seized my head with two hands, "stop it."

"You're not a bother," Ira insisted as her husband released my head from his vice grip. "We love your company; I wish you could see that."

They both looked at me with pained, disheartened grimaces and I couldn't help but feel like I had insulted them. Not wanting to upset them, I quickly agreed to come over for a visit, after we dropped off the groceries. I was astounded that I didn't get the third degree from Charlie as to why I didn't take my truck to school. In fact, as I entered the house with the groceries, he hardly acknowledged me. He was far too busy barking orders and questions into the phone.

I carefully moved around him, putting food items into the fridge and the cupboards, all the while still attempting to eavesdrop.

"That's right, it was south of town again," Charlie growled and shifted his body away as I shoved some bread onto the top shelf of the pantry. "No, I told you, keep the reporters out until we've examined everything!"

_Something happened south of town…again? _I was immediately filled with uneasiness as I thought of the McRaes; they didn't value life the way the Cullens did, could they be doing something that I wasn't aware of? Pondering the possibility for a few seconds, I shook my head when I realized if they _had _been killing anyone, then their eyes would be red.

"The M.E. just arrived?" Charlie's voice arched in interest. "Good, then call me when they finish." He hung up the phone and stood there for a few seconds before shifting to face me.

"Hey, dad," I said warily, not sure if his mood had improved since he was off the phone. "Everything all right?"

"We're still having problems south of town, Bells," Charlie said with an exasperated sigh and practically collapsed into a chair at the table. He pulled his hand across of his forehead before letting his head fall to his hands. "I'm not sure what's happening anymore."

"How so?" I took a seat across the table from him and leaned forward. "Tell me what happened, dad."

"It's nothing you need to worry about, Bella," he said and I could visually see him close up, which meant I wasn't getting anything out of him. This worried me to no end; it took a lot to rile Charlie up like this. Whatever was happening south of town, it was bad.

"So, you didn't take your truck today?" Charlie asked, his voice taking a lighter tone, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, I got a ride," I answered and motioned towards Dante's SUV parked outside. My eyes widened, as I realized that I had kept them waiting for awhile, and I was instantly on my feet. "Speaking of, I was going to go hang out with the McRaes again today—if that's okay."

"South of town?" Charlie's brow indented and his eyes took on a frightened look.

"Yeah," I confirmed and quickly added, "their entire family is going to be there though."

Charlie rubbed the back of his neck, probably debating with himself on whether he should let me go or not. After taking a look outside, he sighed and hesitantly agreed, saying what I thought was a curse word under his breath, but I couldn't be sure. Charlie's behavior was getting more and more bizarre with each passing day, and, since it obviously had something to do with their neck of the woods, I decided to ask Ira and Dante.

The two vampires were idling by their SUV, playing with one another's hair, when I returned. They shifted to face me, eyes glistening in the dim light, and grinned broadly.

"Your father is watching us from the window," Dante said, looking over my shoulder briefly. "He's worried, isn't he?"

"You could say that," I answered and, after a few seconds of awkward silence, I continued. "Hey guys, what's going on south of Forks?"

Ira and Dante both glanced at one another and narrowed their eyes, looking skeptical and threatened. Dante crossed his arms and leaned back against the SUV, while Ira moved forward and placed her hands on her hips.

"What are you talking about?" she asked with a hint of suspicion in her tone.

"My dad's the chief of police," I explained, a little nervous by their sudden change in demeanor. "He said there have been some strange attacks south of town. He's really worried about me, especially since that's where you guys live."

Ira exhaled and glanced back at her husband, whose face was hard as stone, before answering. "It's nothing, Bella."

"No offense, guys," I said and mirrored Dante's position by crossing my own arms, "but my dad doesn't get upset like this over nothing. I know something weird is going on, and I'd appreciate it if you let me know."

"She's telling the truth, Bella," Dante responded in a monotone voice without looking me in the eye. "It's some animal that's been feeding on the hikers."

"But—," I started, about to contest that if it was _just an animal _then why hadn't my father and the other policemen been able to kill it? However, as I opened my mouth, a prompt jingling came from Dante's direction.

He pulled out a small silver cell phone and flipped it open. "Hello? All right, we'll be there in a bit." He shut the phone quickly before opening the backdoor of the SUV and shifting to face me. "Someone wants to see you, Bella."

I cocked my head sideways in curiosity, but was ushered forward by Ira into the backseat. Making a silent vow to find out what was going on, I dropped the subject for the time being as Dante started up the car and began driving south.

The air was full of moisture, which told me that the rain wasn't that far off, but Forks was still relatively dry by the time we got the McRaes house. I was still blown away every time I saw their home; it was just so large. Even the Cullens' home was no match for the grand McRae mansion. As the three of us crossed the yard, I noticed the large hulking form of Argos standing at the edge of the tree line. As I pointed him out and he shifted to face us, his dirty blonde hair falling across his face. Ira waved him over and his figure blurred immediately. In half a second, he was standing in front of me, the curves of his muscles caught my attention as they flexed through his black shirt.

"Hello, Monstro," Dante quipped and threw an arm around Ira. "Keeping the house safe?"

My eyebrows drew together as I saw Argos' features contort at Dante's words. His eyes melted with a hint of sadness, almost hurt, before flashing angrily at the blonde vampire. However, before he had a chance to speak up, Ira decided that it was her turn.

"Of course it's safe, Dante," she giggled and patted Argos's shoulder. "Who would dare defy this leviathan?"

Argos's head fell, his jaw locked tight, and, with a nod of his head, he turned and headed towards the back of the house. My face had fallen already at the sight of this, but my heart broke a little as I watched Argos disappear around the side of the house. I turned back to Ira and Dante, astounded that they would insult Argos in such a way, however their jovial faces told me they probably didn't care.

"You coming inside, Bella?" Dante inquired, his arm still tight around Ira's shoulder.

"Yeah," I said, a little distracted. However, the more I thought about Argos, somewhere in the backyard, I knew I had to do something. "I…uh… actually want to…uh…talk to Argos about something."

"Really?" Ira's lips arched as she stared at me in disbelief. "Why?"

"It's…uh…personal," I stuttered, trying to try and find a reason why I needed to talk to their brother, whom I had only seen a handful of times. "I'll catch up with you guys in a bit."

"Um, all right," Dante said slowly and the two made their way to the front door at human pace, glancing back occasionally with incredulous looks.

I didn't waste any time; as soon as they were halfway to the door, I headed after their massive brother. However, as soon as I rounded the corner he had disappeared behind, I realized the error in my way. Argos was nowhere to be seen. I glanced around the flat expanse, where the McRaes apparently trained, but couldn't see him anywhere.

Just when I was about to give up, I noticed a trail leading into the forest and rushed towards it. As I moved into the trees, I was immediately surrounded by a dark green ocean. The clouds had grown heavy and dark, a warning of rain, and it was becoming difficult to see.

I glanced around and, just when I thought about heading back, I heard a twig snap. My body whipped around in the direction of the sound, a shiver running through me, but I saw nothing.

"Argos?" I called into the dark shrubbery, not sure if he was here anymore. I figured, if he was anywhere near, with his advanced senses, he'd be sure to hear me. "Are you out here?"

"Are you lost?"

I screamed and lost my footing, which caused me to fall towards the earth. The moment I had called out, a deep, gentle voice had answered right behind me. As I began falling face first, my body stopped about six inches above the moss covered ground, and a second later I was over my right shoulder, I found a pair of concerned emerald eyes pouring over me.

"Oh!" I exhaled heavily and placed my hand on my chest, trying to catch my breath. "Argos, it's you."

"Is everything all right, Bella?" He cocked his head to the side and his brow wrinkled heavily.

"Yeah…I…uh," I stumbled as I noticed Argos had no shirt on. The hazy light was enough to throw shadows across his perfectly chiseled abdomen and defined arms. Even the memories of Emmett's muscles were nothing like this; Argos was completely unique. He was also apparently uncomfortable, because, as I continued to ogle him, his expression grew bashful and he crossed his arms over his small action was thankfully enough to break me from my trance. I flushed bright red at my actions and was grateful when he pulled his tshirt, which had been tucked in his shorts, over his head.

"What are you doing out here, Bella?" he asked and his facial expression grew worried. "The weather is growing dangerous."

"I wanted to…uh…make sure…um…you were okay," I stuttered, now feeling a bit awkward about my decision. I hardly knew Argos, and yet, I wanted to comfort him.

"I don't understand," Argos answered, his face losing none of its concern.

"Well," I said slowly, trying to figure out how to proceed. In the end, I figured to be direct. "I noticed that Ira and Dante said some mean things to you," I watched him cringe softly, "and I wanted to see if you're okay."

His lips tightened and he turned away from me, his hands falling to his sides. "Those two know how to push buttons."

"So I figured," I responded and moved closer to him. "Are they always like that?"

"Yes," he whispered, almost too soft for me to catch. "They only do this when Melena is away."

I nodded and cringed as my own memories of being picked on as a child arose. Argos turned back to me, his face pained, and I moved closer to him.

"I know what it feels like," I muttered and lowered my eyes to the ground.

"When I lived in Arizona, there were a group of girls who made fun of me every chance they got."

"Why would they do such a thing?"

"I have no idea," I answered and shrugged, feeling the old bitterness fill my throat. "My mother said it was because I was prettier, but they were the ones who had all the boyfriends. They used to poke fun at my inability to tan, and my constant clumsiness. The name 'Bumbling Bella' became like second nature to me."

I walked away from Argos, feeling the ancient wounds began to rip open, and found a seat on a fallen log. He followed me, taking a seat at my feet, and gazed up at me with his green eyes glittering in the faded light. A new expression had taken over his face and dominated the worry; Argos appeared intrigued and fascinated.

"How did it end?" he asked and I couldn't help but laugh.

"I moved to Forks," I responded angrily, remembering the send off that the group of girls had given me. All my belongings had been dumped into a toilet and flushed, flooding the girls' bathroom. My mother had been called and I left school early, too distraught to go back and stand up for myself. My hand curled into a fist as I thought of the smug grins on their faces as I sobbed all the way into my mother's car.

"You don't deserve that," Argos said and I looked at him, his eyes were lowered to the ground. "I do."

"What?" My mouth fell open at his last comment. "Why on Earth do you think you deserve it?"

"It's not important, Bella," he sighed and lifted his head, almost like he was listening for something. "Erickson is coming."

"But, Argos—"

"Bella!" Eric's voice called from the other side of the trees, and, before I could turn around, his arms were around me. His eyes poured over me, seeming to look for something. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, I was just talking to Argos," I said, a little confused. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

I turned over my shoulder and noticed that Argos had disappeared, Eric and I were alone. Turning back to face him, I saw Eric do something that I had never experience before—I saw him get angry.

"Bella," he growled in a voice I had never heard before. It was guttural and raw, filled with anger and rage. "You will never do something so incredibly idiotic again, do you understand?"

I cowered a bit at the decibel his voice reached; he was almost yelling at me.

Taking a step back, my face contorted in horror as his expression remained the same. Who was this?

"W-What?" I stuttered, both shocked and horrified.

"You could've been hurt!" he growled, his face softening a bit, and moved forward, which forced me to take an additional step backwards.

"By who?" I demanded, my voice screeching as I reciprocated his glare. Seconds ticked by, filled with an impenetrable silence, and Eric's harsh features melted to a grimace and then to a sad frown. Seizing the opportunity, I moved towards him cautiously and touched his arm. "What's wrong, Eric?"

He lowered his eyes and sighed heavily. "It's nothing, Bella," he answered slowly but, after a second, added, "I'd just feel better if you didn't go off wandering alone."

"But, I wasn't—"

I was about to insist that I was with Argos, and therefore, not alone, but I stopped at I processed what he said. _I'd just feel better if you didn't go off_ _wandering alone. _As the intensity of his words soaked in, my memories of Edward were triggered.

_I'm not the most dangerous thing out there._

There was no animal in the woods killing people; Ira and Dante had lied to me. As I stared at Eric's face, I had a feeling that he wouldn't tell me if I asked him—but I didn't need to.

As I tried to put all the pieces together, to make an attempt to figure out what was going on, Eric's back became straight as an arrow. His face grew angry but he wasn't looking at me, in fact, he was looking over me.

"What is it?" I asked and turned around, only to find the vast forest behind me.

"We need to go," Eric hissed and wrapped his arm around my waist. Even though his posture was rigid and he looked angry, Eric guided me through the trail and back towards the house gently. I came to a stop as he started to guide me towards his car, parked haphazardly behind Dante's.

"Where are we going?" I asked, my brow indenting heavily. Eric had just shouted at me a few minutes ago, I was a little hesitant to go anywhere with him.

"I have to take you home, Bella," Eric responded in a monotone voice, and continued to stare over my head.

"Why? I just got here," I contested and crossed my arms as he reached out to take my hand. I was sick and tired of being kept in the dark, I wanted answers, and I wasn't leaving until I got them.

"Please, don't make this more difficult," he sighed and lowered his head.

"What's happening, Eric?" I asked and his eyes rose to me. "Please talk to me."

"I can't, Bella," he replied and cringed. "I'm sorry, not now anyway."

"But—"

Eric's eyes trailed over my head again, and, jumping on the impulse, I spun around. My eyes widened at what I saw. Standing behind me was a tall, slender individual, with pale skin and piercing red eyes. His crimson irises burned into me with a look of curiosity and his mouth was twisted in a confused frown. There was something familiar about his face, but, at the moment, I couldn't place it.

His dark hair fell clumsily just below his ears, and he ran a hand through it, moving loose strands from his eyes. His pallid face was perfectly

angular, but held a level of seriousness that I had never seen in any

vampire. His expression became hauntingly eerie as he focused his

attention on me fully. I shifted uncomfortably and took a step back towards

Eric, who was rigid against me.

The strange vampire looked confused but, after a moment, moved past

us. As he moved with liquid grace, he stopped beside Eric and placed a

hand on his shoulder, before heading to the front door and disappearing

into the house.

I was too stunned that I didn't resist when Eric pulled me towards his car

and started the engine. I was confused why Eric had let that vampire waltz

into his home like nothing was wrong. However, as we reached the

highway, realization dawned on me. I had just seen Lazarus.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Author's note: Passive aggressive, anonymous reviews will be deleted. If you're going to criticize me or my readers, at least have the decencycourage to leave a signed review. **_


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: **The Cloaker.**

The clock on my nightstand clicked midnight and I was still pacing the floor. My eyes trailed to the window I had left opened for a specific purpose; I was waiting for Eric. He had dropped me off, after not speaking during the ride home, and told me he'd come visit me at midnight. However, here I was, waiting, and he still wasn't here. I tried to tell myself that being here right at midnight was an unlikely expectation—especially if Lazarus was at the McRaes' house. Then again, what would it mean if that really was him? Lazarus had left in order to keep the others safe; so, why was he here? On top of that, if he was here, did that mean Ary would be coming back soon?

The possibilities had me reeling and, before I knew it, I was forced to sit on my bed. My head fell to my hands as I thought about Eric's tirade earlier today. If I was being honest with myself, Eric had terrified me. In all my experience with vampires, not once had I been scared of someone I cared for. Even Edward never made me fear him.

I was so consumed with my thoughts and comparisons that I didn't see Eric climb through my window and take a seat in my rocking chair. When I finally looked up I spied him, and, after a soft gasp, stood up.

"Hi," I said softly, not moving from my position.

"Hi," he answered, just as quietly.

We stayed where we were, not moving and not looking away from one another. My stomach was doing flips as I wondered why he had wanted to come over. He appeared so angry when he dropped me off, I couldn't fathom how he'd want to talk to me if he was so upset. A deep pain cut through me as I feared he was here to tell me goodbye. My chest heaved a bit and I lowered my eyes, allowing my arm to wrap around my midsection tightly.

My body quaked, imagining yet another family disappearing like they never existed, and I felt extremely weak. My face cringed as the pain twisted and whirled through my veins, reaching deeper than the pain over the Cullens ever had. I wasn't sure if this was because this was the second loss, or because Eric meant more. Just as I felt I was about to lose my mind, a familiar chilly touch brought me back to reality.

My eyes trailed sideways to the site where Eric cupped my cheek, and I closed my eyes, reveling in the cold sensation. The irony didn't escape me, causing me to chuckle at the pleasure I found in something frigid.

Eric's other hand found the other side of my cheek, and I opened my eyes to find his golden eyes staring into me. The loving expression on his face was comfortingly familiar. He traced my cheek and pulled his hand away, his finger glistened like it was wet. I hadn't even noticed that I had been crying.

"I'm so sorry," he said and moved his body to stand closer to me. His breath, a sweet intoxication, covered me and sent my head into a whirlwind. His arms wrapped around me slowly and pulled me in, much softer than he had back at the house, and we stayed like this for a few minutes.

It was me that eventually pulled away, wanting to know what exactly was going on. I separated our bodies and, feeling that my head was still a bit swimmy, I sat on the edge of my bed.

"Tell me what's happening," I said directly and immediately noticed the change in his expression. "If there's something going on, Eric, I have a right now know. My father's been out there in the woods nearly every day; I need to know he's safe."

He shifted and turned his back on me for a few seconds before facing me again. The loving expression had faded to one of pain and tension. "I…can't."

"Eric—"

"Please don't think this is either easy or a choice," he growled suddenly, cutting me off. "Things are very complicated right now."

"Is that why Lazarus is here?" I demanded and stood up, agitated that I was being kept in the dark again. It reminded me of when Edward had kept the truth behind the strange deaths a secret; there had been vampires hunting people in the area just last spring. My father had been out there, looking for a wild animal, and he could have been hurt.

"I'm sorry," was all Eric could say to my question.

"Why are you here?" I asked bleakly, wondering how I would handle life if I was left behind again. Would I be able to move on, or would I curl up into a metaphorical hole as I had previously planned when the Cullens had left?

"I wanted to apologize," he said softly, closing the space between us again. "I shouldn't have been so harsh with you—it was inexcusable."

"You scared me," I remarked quietly and, after noting the amount his face fell, added, "a little bit."

Eric turned away and stared out the window, the profile of his face contorting in a mixture of pain and some unknown emotion. My stomach sank when he dropped his head with a sigh, and my mind immediately told me that they were leaving. I'm not sure how I was able to jump to that conclusion, but I did.

"Bella—"

"No, please Eric, don't," I sobbed and rushed forward, my hand tightening on his bicep. Despite any reason behind their leaving, I just couldn't let him go. The other McRaes could disappear, but I needed him.

"What is it?" Eric's eyes widened in shock and he embraced me, stroking my hair with his palm. "What's the matter?"

"Please don't leave me," I cried into his chest and sniffed heavily. My face was already hot, but, as I realized how pathetic I must look, I flushed even more. Why on earth was I putting on such a display? Why did the thought of him leaving terrify me so? True, I cared about Eric, but this was something different.

"Who on earth said I was leaving?" Eric pulled away and looked directly at me.

"I…uh…no one," I stuttered and heaved as my breath caught in my throat. However, as I processed Eric's question, I realized what he was saying. "You're not leaving?"

"No, of course not," he said incredulously and wiped the tears from my cheeks. "What gave you that impression?"

"Well…when the Cullens left," I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice, "Edward started acting distant. So, when you started acting like that, I thought you might be leaving too."

"Oh, Bella," he sighed and, in a flash, he lifted me from the floor and carried me back to my bed. After he took a seat, Eric cradled me in his arms, his eyes not once leaving mine. "I'm very sorry for upsetting you, but I can assure you that I'm not going anywhere."

"But, you were so angry," I pointed out, remembering the harshness in his eyes and the stone-like features he had.

"Not at you, my dear," he whispered and smiled softly. "My family's very tense right now. Things are not going according to plan."

"What does that mean?"

He turned his head away from me and his eyebrows pulled together. He stayed like this for awhile, before his expression melted and he smiled broadly at me.

"It's nothing you need to worry about," he said quietly and pulled me closer. "All that matters is you and me."

I wished I would've had more willpower, I really did, but in that moment, I surrendered to my emotions and let Eric soothe my inner turmoil. I lay there, listening to him softly reminisced about the hunting trip, and felt the last of my tension unwind. After awhile, he lay down beside me, letting my hair coil in his fingers, and continued his stories.

I was just beginning to doze off when Eric sighed and disappeared from my side. Sitting up immediately, shaking off the sleep that clung to me, I found him standing by the window, staring out into the night.

"Are you leaving?" My voice squeaked through the silence in my bedroom, and I frowned at Eric.

"I need to go home," he answered, his voice apologetic. "I'll be here in the morning, though."

"Do you promise?" I asked him and held my breath, waiting for his response.

"I promise."

He kept his promise. The moment my eyes opened, I was greeted with the pleasant sight of Eric sitting in my rocking chair, smiling broadly at me. I was immediately reminded of the times Edward had done that as well, which made me smile. Thinking of Edward and the Cullens no longer caused me as much pain as it used to.

"Good morning," Eric mused from his place and, in an instant, he was sitting at the edge of my bed. As I climbed out of bed, he gathered me in his arms and kissed me softly, sending a tingle down my spine. "Did you sleep well?"

"Very," I responded truthfully, having experienced no nightmares earlier. "How was the rest of your night?"

"Interesting," he answered and cringed a little bit before laughing. "That's the way things are in my family."

I was about to question him but, as the sun broke through the clouds and splashed across Eric's arm, I saw something that drew my attention. Along Eric's forearm was a light scar that traced from his wrist all the way to his elbow. It shined in the light, much differently than his skin did now, and contrasted the rest of him.

"Eric," I said slowly and touched his arm. "What is this scar?"

"Ah, I forgot to tell you about that," he sighed and pulled my hand away from the scar gently. He got off the bed and, in a quick motion, pulled his shirt halfway off.

I gasped, not because he was half-naked in my bedroom, but because his body was covered in about 5 good size scars. These were much bigger than the one of his arm, but were different shapes. I rose off the bed and found myself tracing the wounds with my fingers softly.

"What happened to you?" I inquired as I continued to inspect his torso.

"This is a testament, Bella," Eric said seriously and, as I looked up at him, he cringed. "This is what happens if you upset Aryana and you're standing too close."

"Ary did this to you?"

He nodded and closed his eyes as he smile softly. With that he began explaining where each and every scar came from, until he came to the last. It was, by far, larger than the others and wrapped around his side in a jagged line.

"After the Rochester incident," he said and rubbed his hand along his side, "she completely lost control and almost ripped me in two. Thank God for Avarice."

I tried to compose myself, but it was hard not to look at such a brutal sight and not be horrified. Each scar, from the very first time he had sparred with Ary to the most recent and ugly skirmish, seemed to wound me.

"This is why she doesn't want to change around you," he whispered and

pulled his shirt down. "I'm durable—you're not."

I lowered my eyes and let the truth of his words sink in. These were the same words that Edward had used to describe me on several occasions, yet I don't think I'd ever truly grasped it. Now, as I watched Eric trace the scar on his forearm, I think I finally understood.

"Well," Eric spoke up, breaking my internal thoughts and gestured to the closet. "You go ahead and get ready, and I'll wait downstairs."

"My dad?" I wasn't exactly sure what time it was, so I was worried that Eric might run into my dad on his way down. Then again, I realized that Eric could probably have heard Charlie leave, so my question was probably irrelevant. "Did he leave already?"

"An hour ago," Eric replied with a soft smile.

With one last kiss on the cheek, he was out the door in the blink of an eye and I was left standing in the middle of my room. Not wanting to keep him waiting long, and seeing as I had taken a shower the night before, I opened my closet and pulled out some clothes. I settled on a thermal sweater, a pair of jeans, sneakers, and, of course, my parka.

The outside world was still covered in snow, so I was thankful that Eric was driving; it meant I didn't have to spend half an hour trying to de-ice my

truck. Part of me realized that I'd have to do it eventually, but, for once, I decided a little procrastination was acceptable.

As I descended the stairs, I found Eric sitting in the living room patiently. Upon my arrival, he hopped up and kissed me softly, allowing his lips to linger on mine for a few extra seconds. That small amount of time was enough to fill my stomach with butterflies and send a bright red flush across my face. When he pulled away, my hand quickly flew to my face in a vain attempt to mask the blushing.

"I like it when you blush, Bella," he whispered, and, after lightly pulling my hand away from my face, entwined our fingers.

Breakfast went by quickly, with me only consuming a few bites of cereal and gulping down a glass of milk, before we were out the door. I climbed in Eric's car and immediately melted into the comfortable seats, before we were off to school.

On our way there, I couldn't help but think back to the previous day, when Eric had gotten very angry. Things were starting to get really weird in Forks, and I'd bet money that the McRaes knew exactly what was going on. _I wonder if it has anything to do with that white-haired person._

My breathing hitched as I remembered everything I had wanted to speak to Eric about. After his angry outburst and my fear that the McRaes were leaving, I had completely forgotten about the mysterious person I had been seeing outside the school.

"Eric," I said slowly and, after he hummed a response, I asked, "Is there something in Forks that I should be worried about?"

As I peered at him from the side, I saw him looking in my direction, so I continued further. "The reason I ask it, well, I've seen some strange things lately."

"Such as?" Eric sounded completely uninterested and part of me wondered if I'd upset him.

"Never mind," I grumbled and lowered my eyes.

"Please tell me." Eric's voice was completely different now; he sounded sincere and sweet, just like normal.

"Well, promise not to laugh," I insisted and, after his reassuring chuckle, I continued. "I could've sworn I've seen someone lurking around the school—someone with white hair."

Nothing I could've imagined could have prepared me for Eric's reaction. His foot immediately slammed on the brake, bringing us to a screeching halt, and, as soon as we were completely immobile, he turned to me. His face was frantic and his eyes were wide.

"You saw _what_?" His body started to tremble as his golden eyes cut through me.

"Eric, why did you—" I started to demand why on Earth he had stopped us in the middle of the road, but he cut me off.

"Why didn't you say something?" His voice climbed higher and his hands, fisted tightly around the steering wheel, were shaking.

"What's wrong?" I asked softly, feeling a bit of fear raise in my stomach. I knew that Eric wouldn't hurt me, but, when he looked at me in that way, I felt afraid.

Eric appeared to realize what he was doing, and his body slowly became less tense. However, as soon as he was breathing normally, he twisted the steering wheel and started driving in the other direction. His jaw was tight and he glared openly at the road ahead of us.

"Where are we going?" I asked, feeling flush with anxiety.

"To speak with Lazarus."

About twenty minutes later, I was being pulled across the McRaes lawn towards the front door, my stomach feeling like a tight knot. I hadn't even been formally introduced to Lazarus yet, and here I was, showing up with Eric to talk to him. As Eric pushed the door open, I prepared myself for whatever would happen, and hoped it would be okay.

The inside of the McRaes' home was illuminated by a few lamps, placed haphazardly around the room. Once I was able to take in my surroundings, I noticed that Avarice and Lazarus were on the sofa staring up at us with matching looks of confusion.

"Erickson, what's wrong?" Avarice stood and smiled briefly my way. "Hello, Bella."

"Hi," I muttered awkwardly, wondering if our arrival had caused the interruption of anything important.

"She's seen the scout," Eric answered quickly and his harsh tone was enough to make me drop my eyes in shame.

"Are you positive?" I heard Avarice inquire, though I kept my eyes shut.

All at once, I felt an icy touch softly lift my chin upwards, however, when I opened my eyes, it was not who I expected. I was greeted by a pair of crimson irises, masked lightly by black hair.

Lazarus smiled softly at me and tilted his head sideways before asking, "Why do you lower your eyes?"

"I…uh," I stuttered as his eyes pierced through me, sending a chill down my spine. However, as he stroked my cheek, he looked like he was expecting an answer, so I gave him one. "I feel like this is my fault."

"And what, pray tell, are you at fault for?" His voice probed further, almost hypnotizing me with its beautiful melodic sound. Like Avarice, Lazarus had a strong Irish accent that saturated every word he spoke beautifully. I was very tempted to close my eyes and simply listen to him speak for a few hours.

"Eric's upset," I muttered, still a bit entranced, and instantly regretted saying it. My eyes quickly fell on Eric, who looked shocked and confused in the same instant.

"No, Bella," he insisted and, as he pulled me out of Lazarus's grasp, I could've sworn he narrowed his eyes at his older brother. "I'm sorry, I'm not mad at you."

"What's wrong, then?" I asked and, remembering that we weren't alone, turned back to Lazarus and Avarice. "Please, tell me what's happening."

"We've been tracking someone moving through the area," Avarice responded hesitantly and turned to Lazarus who nodded. "That's one of the reasons Aryana left; she was trying to draw them to Seattle."

"Lazarus, what can you see?" Eric asked seriously and looked his brother expectantly.

Lazarus lowered his chin slightly and appeared to concentrate, not speaking and not looking at anyone. His face suddenly glazed over, very similar to Alice when she would have a vision, and he cocked his head to side, appearing confused.

"This town is filled with holes," he muttered, appearing engrossed. All at once, he stopped and turned to me with a soft smile and said, "One in this very room."

"All right," Eric muttered after a beat and turned to Avarice. "What exactly does that mean?"

"A cloaker," Lazarus responded simply.

My mind was a whirl of questions. Why did Eric ask Lazarus what he could see? What did Lazarus mean by a cloaker? And what did he mean by holes? As I tried to piece together the answers, Lazarus, Avarice, and Eric continued to speak.

"A cloaker would definitely make sense," Avarice agreed and began to pace in front of the fireplace. "How many times did she see them?"

"Twice," Eric responded, his jaw tightening a bit. "Around the school."

"That _doesn't _make sense," Avarice said and knit his brow. "The scouts don't stay around that long."

"Scouts?" I asked, finally breaking my silence.

"Scouts are vampires that are sent to locate our family, Bella," Avarice informed, and rested his forehead on the mantle. "However, they always leave and send for the assassins after they find us. The fact that you've seen this creature twice is very peculiar and out of the ordinary."

Avarice and Eric both paced around the room, deep in concentration—unlike Lazarus. He sat, curiously oblivious on the sofa, turning to stare at me every now and then, but mostly just gazing into the fire with a strange attraction.

"Erickson, come with me," Avarice finally said, after about five minutes. "I need to show you something."

Eric leaned down and kissed my forehead. "I'll be right back."

I was a little nervous being left alone with Lazarus; last time I was left alone with a vampire with red eyes, he had almost killed me. I shuddered, remembering Rochester and immediately let my mind think of something else. As I sat there, trying to think of an excuse to tell Charlie, as to why I wasn't at school today, Lazarus turned and stared directly at me.

"You're so quiet," he mused softly and pulled his feet up on the sofa. He gazed curiously at me with a fascination that I found endearing and a little creepy.

"Sorry," I responded automatically, not sure what he wanted me to say. However, as I stared at the husband of my best friend, thoughts of Ary immediately surfaced. "So, have you seen Ary?"

He sighed and lowered his eyes. "Aye—and she's seen me."

There were so many questions I wanted to ask him, the majority about Ary and her current state. According to her, Lazarus had broken her heart and and her current state. According to her, Lazarus had broken her heart and taken off, so, I wondered if she was okay.

My throat was slightly scratchy, forcing me to cough slightly; I hadn't drunk any water yet today. As my hand found its way to my neck, Lazarus returned his attention to me.

"Are you thirsty?" he inquired with raised eyebrows.

"No, I'm fine," I lied, not wanting to trouble anybody.

"You're a terrible liar," Lazarus responded with a sly smile. "I'd be able to spot that, even if I weren't what I am."

"Huh?" I remembered Ary saying that Lazarus had a gift for hypnotizing people, but what did that have to do with me lying?

"I'm more than a hypnotist, Bella," Lazarus answered my thoughts quickly and laughed.

"I don't understand," I said cautiously. "Ary didn't tell me you could read minds."

"Yana protects me," he replied after sighing heavily and lowering his eyes. He cringed, contorting his serene expression to a pained one, and shut his eyes. "We don't give away information freely, Bella. That happens after you've been hunted for over a hundred years."

"All right," I breathed, wondering what else she'd kept from me, and, asked, "so, what can you do?"

"Damn!" Eric's familiar tone shot through the house, and, moments later, he rushed into the living room. He fisted his hands in his hair and snarled angrily before falling into one of the chairs.

"Find something, brother?" Lazarus asked, slightly amused.

"Yes, Lazarus," he hissed without looking at his brother. "There are traces of the same scent, we've been following, all around the house. Whoever it is, they've been inside our home."

"Here?" I asked as my eyes trailed around the massive living room, feeling afraid. "What does it mean?"

His head perked up and he looked at me skeptically, but, possibly upon seeing the fear in my eyes, he softened and made his way over to me. Once at my side, he traced my cheek with his palm and gave me a familiar smile that warmed me on the inside.

"Everything will be all right, Bella," Eric replied softly, his voice sending a chill down my spine. "We won't let anything happen to you."

"Erickson," Lazarus interrupted, and turned to face me directly. "Bella, do you live on K Street?"

"Yes," I confirmed slowly, but quickly added, "why?"

"When I arrived in Forks," Lazarus explained, his face losing none of its seriousness, "I found several, unmasked scents surrounding a two story house on K Street. The house with the iced over red truck." The air caught in my throat as I realized what he was telling me. The vampire had been hanging around my house, possibly watching my father and I.

"My dad could come home early," I cried, remembering that he normally took off early before holidays, and panicked. "We need to go now!"

I stood up quickly and tried to head for the front door, however, Eric ensnared me in a tight grip and pulled me back. My arms flailed about and I demanded that he let me go. Why was he trying to restrain me when I needed to see if my dad was okay?

"Patience, Bella," Eric whispered in my ear soothingly. "The cloaker doesn't want you or your father; if they did, you'd both be dead by now."

"Erickson is right," Avarice agreed, coming into the room from the hallway behind us. "Any action that indicates we are aware of the cloaker's presence will put everyone in danger."

"So, what do we do?" I asked, tired from struggling against Eric and emotionally strung out from everything else. "Nothing?"

"Not nothing," Avarice answered with an endearing smile, touching my shoulder lightly. "We need you to keep your eyes open, Bella. For some reason, the cloaker has allowed you to see the cloaker, which is very strange. Whatever his, or her, purpose, I have a feeling that they'll reveal it to you soon enough, then we can strike. Until then, we can only be patient."

_Oh great, the game I hate the most—the waiting game._


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: **The Visitor**

"Dad," I called over my shoulder towards the living room where Charlie was glued to the television. "Dinner's almost ready!"

"Be there in a minute, Bells," he responded, sounding more far away than ever before.

If I was being honest with myself, I was happy that my dad was somewhat back to normal. After seeing him stress out over whatever was happening south of town, it was refreshing to see him kick back and enjoy the holidays.

My stomach knotted up as I glanced outside, suddenly suspicious, and I shut the curtains with a quick tug. After my talk with Avarice, Lazarus, and Eric, I no longer felt one hundred percent safe in my own home. Apparently, the cloaker—who was sent to find the McRae family—had been lurking around my home as well as the McRaes'. The thought of my father, being here alone, made me uneasy and fearful.

Charlie appeared in the kitchen doorway, grinning from ear to ear, and shook me from my worries, putting me back in the Thanksgiving spirit. I had gotten up very early—seven a.m. to be precise—and began cooking the extravagant feast. Normally, I wouldn't have gone all out for only two people, but Charlie had mentioned Billy, Jacob, and the Clearwaters might stop by later on, so I whipped up something for more than two.

"That smells great!" Charlie inhaled deeply, as he took a seat at the table, and eyed the potatoes and green beans hungrily. As I set down the chicken in front of him, he smiled, almost apologetically. "Bella, I want to say sorry for a few things."

"What do you have to be sorry for, dad?" I laughed a bit, wondering what my dad could think he was guilty of now. That was another area where Charlie and I were alike—we both took the weight of the world on our shoulders. "I thought we're supposed to be thankful today."

"Well, these past few weeks," he replied, setting down his fork and lowering his eyes, "I've been putting my job ahead of you, and I'm sorry."

"It's okay, dad," I insisted and took a seat across from him. "I'm fine, really."

Charlie's face didn't relax and he didn't look up at me, so, in a sympathetic gesture, I reached out and touched his hand. My dad's fingers tightened around mine and I could've sworn I saw him smile a bit. We stayed like this for a few seconds before the awkwardness set in, and we separated.

"Now," I said, feeling a strange streak of energy course through me, "how about we cut this poor bird?"

"Allow me!" Charlie grasped the carving knife and cut the gigantic chicken.

The next half an hour was spent in silence, as we ate and enjoyed the fruit of my all day cooking spree. The roasted chicken was, thankfully, perfection. Charlie's continuous groans of praise made me giggle internally, and I softly chided him that he should save some for the others.

Then again, I had returned to the store the day earlier and purchased another chicken for our guests, so he could have all he wanted. I had just jumped up to grab one of the pies I had made when a quick knock came from the front door. Charlie hopped up, telling me that Billy said they might be late, and disappeared around the corner. Smiling softly and looking forward to seeing Jacob again, I put down the knife and waited to hear Billy's laughter. However, what I ended up hearing made my skin crawl.

"Can I help you with something, honey?" Charlie asked with a cautious voice, signaling that the Blacks and the Clearwaters were not at the door.

"Yes, sir," said an unfamiliar, haunting voice. "I'm afraid I'm lost; could you tell me how to get to the highway?"

There was something morbid about the sound of the stranger's voice, something eerie. I couldn't really place my finger on it, so I got up and moved slowly to peer around the doorway. As I turned the corner, my eyes widened and my hand flew to my mouth at what I saw.

The girl in the doorway was dressed in well-tailor black slacks and a black turtle neck, which clung to her body flawlessly. Her already pallid skin seemed to glow in contrast to the color of her ensemble; however this was not why I stared. The girl's hair was pulled up into a ponytail, all of her white-blonde hair. The stranger—the scout—was standing inside my house. As I continued to gawk at her, she turned and stared at me, black sunglasses covering her eyes, and smiled wickedly in my direction.

"Here you go," Charlie said as he tugged something from the desk in the hallway. "I have tons of maps, you can go ahead and have this one."

"How very kind of you," the girl remarked, without tearing her eyes away from me.

"Just follow our street down to Main Street," Charlie continued instructing, completely unfazed by the fact that she wasn't even looking at him. "When you come to the fork in the road, go ahead and take a right, it'll take you right to the highway."

"Thank you, sir," she answered after returning her attention back to my father. "I'm sure I have everything I need now."

"Well, good luck," Charlie chuckled awkwardly and shut the door as she turned and disappeared into the night. "Humph, tourists."

"Everything okay, dad?" I inquired, knowing that everything was not okay. The scout had come into my home and made a point of singling me out by smiling malevolently in my direction. I had to tell Eric.

"Yeah, Bells," Charlie responded as we headed back to the kitchen. "People get lost back here all the time. If I had a dime for every time someone stopped for directions…"

He trailed off as he began shoveling food into him mouth, and I smiled nervously at him. Slowly I began picking at my food, no longer hungry but still wanting to keep up the pretences that I was. However, as the moments ticked by, I couldn't help but fear the scout was outside, planning on killing my father and me. Part of me was curious why she hadn't made that attempt when she was inside, and it was that unknown that made me nervous. As that fear seeped deeper and deeper into my mind, I shot up from my seat and headed for the phone.

"Everything okay?" Charlie's eyebrow quirked as sped through the tiny kitchen.

"Yeah," I said slowly, trying to think of a good lie to tell him. "I…uh…forgot about an assignment…that's due after the holidays."

"Your teachers gave you homework for Thanksgiving?" Charlie asked in disbelief, and, after I nodded, he shook his head and grumbled, "that's just plain wrong."

"Yeah," I replied, feigning a smile as best I could, while letting my eyes glance back towards the phone in the hallway. "I'm going to call Eric; he's in my class. I'll be right back."

"Hold on there, Bella," Charlie called, his voice taking on a stern tone. As I turned around, exasperated by his hindering my attempt to possibly save our lives, I noticed he had a serious look of his face. "I've been meaning to talk to you about that boy."

_Oh no, not now!_

"Dad," I said slowly, trying not to let the anxiety fill my voice. "Could we do this another time? This is a really important assignment."

"This'll only take a minute, have a seat," he said and gestured to the chair I had been sitting in. I reluctantly rejoined him at the table, the fear creeping in me rapidly with each passing second. Charlie took a sip from his glass of water, and raised his eyes to meet mine. "Bella, I haven't been around these past few weeks, so, you can understand my shock when you had a boy show up at the house."

"Yeah, dad I—"

"Let me finish." He held his hand up to silence me, and I hung my head bleakly. "After everything that happened with the Cullen boy,"—my head shot up— "do you think it's wise to jump back into a something so soon?"

"Dad," I replied, my voice thick with restrained anger. "Eric is good for me."

Never was there a truer statement; Eric was one of the reasons I wasn't turning into a zombie over Edward's departure. He made me happy and reminded me that I was more than a distraction; Eric loved me. Of course, the question was, did I love him?

"I know that's what you think, Bells," Charlie answered with a soft grimace and refocused his attention on his hands, probably feeling as awkward and embarrassed as I was at the moment. "But, right now, I think you might just be using him as a crutch—and that's not fair to him."

My jaw dropped and Charlie accused me of using Eric for my own personal benefit. I will admit that he was partially right; I had started off allowing Eric's presence to soothe the inner turmoil over the Cullens leaving, however things were different now. My feelings for Eric had grown so much since then. I no longer fixated on Edward and Alice, I thought only about Eric and worried about Ary.

"I'm just saying you should really think about what you're doing," Charlie continued, his voice growing a bit apologetic. "Ask yourself if this is what you really want, if he's who you really want."

My eyes lowered and I frowned. "Is that everything?"

Charlie sighed. "Yeah."

"Okay," I responded with no emotion and rose from my seat. "I'm going to call Eric."

"All right, kiddo," Charlie sighed and went back to eating his pie.

I found his concern over me a little endearing but still very annoying—and a little insulting. It's not every day that a father accuses his daughter of using a boy; usually it was the other way around. Why couldn't we go back to the way things were, when I first moved to Forks? Back then, Charlie let me do things on my own with minor interference and he never hovered or showed much interest. As I headed towards the phone, I quickly snapped myself out of it, remembering that there was a vampire somewhere around my house, and moved a bit quicker.

I rushed around the corner and began dialing rapidly, hoping that Eric would answer. As I listened to the ringing on the other end of the phone, I jumped every time I heard a sound in the house. From floor creaks to the branches hitting the window outside; I was on edge. Luckily, after the third ring, Eric picked up, filling me with relief.

"Good evening, Bella," he answered in a pleasant and slightly surprised voice. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?"

"Eric, I saw the scout," I replied urgently, letting all my fear spill out in my voice, while still remaining quiet, just in case Charlie was eavesdropping.

"Where, when?" he demanded frantically on the other line.

"She was inside my house," I answered and felt myself quiver in fear. "Someone knocked at the front door and, when my father answered it, there she was."

"Is she still there?" Eric asked, and I thought I heard voices in the background while he spoke.

"No," I said and glanced around the corner to the front door. The hall was empty. "Eric, I'm scared, what should I do?"

"Absolutely nothing," Eric growled through the phone. "I should be there in about twenty minutes, but until then, don't you or your father go outside, do you understand?"

"Yes."

The line went dead.

I set the phone down and let my eyes trail around to the windows, feeling the uncontrollable anxiety wash through me. The darkness seemed to reach through the windows and grasp me, filling me with dread and worry. What if the McRaes were wrong; what if the scout was really here for me?

"Bells?"

I jumped and let a small yelp exit my mouth as Charlie rounded the corner, which earned me a confounded stare from my father. He narrowed his eyes and I immediately smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, dad," I replied, my voice sounding like I was out of breath. "I didn't hear you coming."

"You alright?" Charlie's eyes narrowed in suspicion and concern. "You look as white as a ghost."

"Dad, I always look as white as a ghost," I pointed out and Charlie smirked. "I'm just worried about the assignment; I think I might need to go over the McRaes house and get Eric's help."

"Oh no, young lady," Charlie challenged and crossed his arms. "This is a holiday; you're not going to go bothering that boy on Thanksgiving."

"Uh, dad," I answered with a moderate level of hostility. I was getting very irritated with Charlie relatively quickly; first he accused me of using Eric and now he was calling me a nuisance. This was going too far. "It was Eric's idea."

"Oh."

"Yeah," I said and crossed my arms defiantly, "and I said I'd be happy to."

"Look, Bella," Charlie sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not trying to hurt your feelings or anything. I'm just looking out for you."

I took a deep breath and reminded myself that Charlie was telling the truth. He wasn't like Jessica Stanley or Lauren Mallory; he loved me and was looking out for my best interest. When I raised my head, I smiled softly at him and nodded, letting him know that I understood.

"I know, dad," I answered and, after an awkward moment of silence, I added, "I'm going to go head up to my room. Let me know if Billy and the others show up. I really want to say hi."

"Sure thing, kid."

As soon as I got to my room, I let the panic overwhelm and consume me. Instinctively, I ran to all my windows and pulled the curtain shut, not wanting anyone to be able to see me, and curled up on the floor beside my bed. I had only turned on the lamplight, so the room was still relatively dark, which I had debated on to begin with.

The silence was almost deafening as I waited for Eric's arrival. I started to wonder how long it took him to leave. Was he just going to get up and go, or would he check with the others first? My many questions were abruptly interrupted by the sound of an engine just outside. When I peeked outside, I spotted Eric's familiar Mercedes parked in my driveway.

I flung my body towards the bedroom door, stopping briefly to grab my jacket, and was down the stairs in a matter of seconds. Surprisingly enough, I only missed one step, which caused a slight stumble, when normally I would have fallen down the entire staircase.

"Hey, where's the fire?" Charlie called from the living room as I scurried past him. "What are you doing tonight again, Bella?"

"Uh, stopping a vampire from killing us," I called back, not remembering to put a brain filter on. My body came to a sudden halt as I realized what I'd just told Charlie, and I waited in silence to hear his response.

"Well," he chuckled lightly from the next room. "Just wait til college, kid."

_He didn't believe me._

I didn't necessarily have time to point out the irony, but I did allow myself a small, nervous giggle before opening the front door. Eric was standing on the other side, glancing around me to see inside my house.

"How long has she been gone?" he asked softly, his face serious.

"About thirty or thirty five minutes," I answered, letting my eyes roam around the outside of the house. I couldn't help but feel that the scout was watching us, then again, maybe it was just paranoia.

"Alright," he said and pulled me forward. "Are you ready?"

"Where are we going?" I asked, suddenly unsure what the McRaes would do. Their normal course would be to leave; was Eric planning on taking me with them?

"To my house," he answered as locked the door behind me and followed him. "You need to tell Avarice and Lazarus everything."

"Eric," I stopped and tugged on his sleeve, forcing him to look at me, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

He sighed and smiled at me endearingly allowing his fingers to entwine with my own. "I don't blame you for anything, Bella."

I nodded, relieved that he wasn't holding me responsible, and followed him to this car. As I climbed in the passenger seat, I let my eyes trail along the shadows surrounding my house. Even though I wasn't remotely religious, I said a silent prayer for Charlie and hoped I would see him again in the morning.

The drive to the McRaes' house took much longer; not because Eric was going slowly, but because I was so anxious to get there. I wondered what Lazarus and Avarice would decide to do after I told them. Would the entire family get up and leave or would they do something about the scout? My stomach turned and I momentarily felt like throwing up, but Eric's soft smile soothed the pain immediately.

We finally made it to the house and found the entire family, minus Ary of course, sitting in front of the fireplace. They all gave us curious looks as we entered, everyone except Lazarus, who stared at me with a bewildered grimace.

"We have a problem," Eric growled as we stopped in front of the McRaes.

"What is it?" Avarice asked and offered me a smile, which I promptly returned.

"The scout visited Bella," Lazarus answered for Eric and everyone turned to him.

My jaw fell slack as he smiled in the same lopsided manner that Ary did. I still didn't get any answers on how he was able to read my thoughts—especially since Edward could never do it.

"Goodness," Avarice exclaimed and shot off the couch. "Where and when?"

"She came by my house," I responded and added, "about an hour ago, I think."

"What should we do?" Eric eyed Avarice intently and tightened his hold on my hand. "We can't leave the scout here; there's no telling what she'll do."

"I agree," Argos said and we all turned to look at him. "Left alone, the problem will grow worse."

"So, what do we do?" Dante asked from where he sat next to Ira on the sofa. "Another hunting trip?"

"We've already tried that, Dante," Melena said and moved away from Argos. "The scout is also a cloaker, which means we can't find her scent, which renders a hunting trip pointless."

"Why don't we send Avarice out, then?" Ira suggested and the remaining McRaes raised their eyebrows in interest.

"Wait," I stopped them, still a little confused. "Why would Avarice being there make a difference?"

The McRaes stopped and turned in my direction, letting their eyes trail from my face to Eric's. After a few seconds, they all smiled and chuckled, which confounded me even further.

"Remember our discussion, Bella?" Avarice asked and crossed the room towards me. "When I told you about my abilities as a shield?"

I tried my best to remember, but that day was filled with memories of Ary. She had missed school because Lazarus had sent her a letter explaining his reasons for leaving. As I shook my head, I noticed Lazarus cringe and turn away from the others, and I could only wonder if he was reading my mind.

"Avarice can repel attacks and abilities," Skye said and wrapped her arms around his waist. "He protects the family, that's why it takes the pure bloods so long to find us."

"I don't understand."

I was telling the truth; I really had no idea what they were telling me. How could one vampire prevent the detection of an entire family? I tried to wrap my brain around the concept, but found it too bizarre to think of.

"We'll have to discuss that later," Lazarus said quickly, a worried expression on his face. "We need to leave now."

"What—" I started to contest their decision but Lazarus cut me off.

"Erickson, take her home," he commanded, suddenly very stern and shifted to face the others. "Argos, Melena, and I will head south, attempt to draw her to Seattle. The rest of you, take the northern pass, try to lead her up north. Whoever finds her first, don't waste any time."

My mouth was wide open as I heard Lazarus's orders; the McRaes were leaving Forks, and there wasn't a thing I could do about it. As I turned to Eric, who was slowly leading me towards the doorway, I threw him a pleading look, silently begging him not to leave.

"Let's go, Bella," was all he said.

Eric drove faster than he ever had, with me in the car anyway. The trees were dark green blurs, illuminated by the moon and the headlights of the car. My stomach was a tight knot as we grew closer to my house, and I wondered what would happen when we reached our destination. Would Eric simply kick me out of the car; or would he actually make an attempt to say goodbye?

"Bella." I almost didn't hear Eric's voice as he whispered my name.

Turning my body hesitantly, preparing myself for the worst, I was shocked to see Eric was gazing at me directly, instead of the road.

"Eric, maybe you should watch the road," I suggested, a little nervous under his intense gaze.

"I am," he breathed and laughed before his face grew serious again. "I have to leave."

"I know," I said, hearing my voice break, and turned away. "You have to do what you have to do, I guess."

"Bella," he murmured and I looked back to him, "stop."

"Stop what?" I lowered my eyes.

"Stop thinking that you're not important," he said gently and let his palm cup my cheek. "I'm coming back."

My eyes shot up. "You are?"

"Yes," he answered and turned back to stare at the road. "As soon as the scout's been taken care of, I'll be back to get you."

"You will?"

He looked over at me and smiled at me with a lopsided grin. "Yes, Bella."

"Where will we go?" I asked, suddenly curious what I'd tell my father.

"I don't know yet," Eric sighed and his brow deepened. "There's a possibility I might leave the family. If that's the case, then we'll be free to go wherever we like."

"But, what about Ary?" Eric was only part of my reason for wanting to join the McRaes; Ary was my best friend.

"Like I said," Eric said with a bit of reluctance in his eyes. "I'm not exactly sure what's going to happen. But, I promise you, Bella, I will come back."

He turned to me, his golden eyes pouring over me, and, overwhelmed by the intensity of this moment, I turned away. My cheeks flushed a bright red, and, as I took a deep breath to clear my thoughts, I glanced up to the road, and the oncoming object in the middle of the road.

"ERIC, WATCH OUT!"

My cries were too late; the front part of Eric's Mercedes slammed into a pale figure standing in the middle of the road. The speed we were going forced the car to flip midair, spiraling over the head of whatever had crashed into us, and hit the pavement with a chorus of crashes. As the compact car rolled around, my neck snapped to the side and made contact with the side of the window.

As I lay against the hard pavement, my vision and hearing now damaged, I could vaguely hear what sounded like muffled growling and snarling. However, as I was lifted off the ground, my body failed me and I slipped into unconsciousness.


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: **Baiting the Beast**

Before the Thanksgiving incident, I had been in a grand total of two automobile accidents. The most recent had been when Tyler Crowley's van had hit a patch of black ice and almost crushed me to death. Of course, that was when I had discovered that there was something unordinary about Edward Cullen, making it a rather exciting event.

Unfortunately, my very first encounter with a car wreck was not as pleasant as the second. I had been about thirteen years old and Renee had been a little hung over when she got behind the wheel. Despite my incessant nagging, she decided to force the two-seat coupe through a busy intersection, which turned out to be a horrible mistake. We were broadsided by a massive truck and our car was almost flipped over. I can remember, in great detail, trying to wake up my mom as I was pulled out of the car by the paramedics. The resulting fights between my mother, father, and Child Protective Services were something that never left me; it's not every day you get to watch your mother crumble before your eyes.

I wasn't exactly sure why these memories came to mind, especially with what had just happened. Eric was driving me home, and had just explained that he would come back for me, when we hit something—or someone—in the middle of the road. After that, everything went black. Now, as I slowly began my ascent into consciousness, the first greeting I received was from a harsh chemical aroma, which burned my sinuses violently, forcing me to cough. The odor smelled of bleach, copper, and, something else—what was it—wet cement. The air was tight and moldy, like I was in a closet that hadn't been opened in years, which caused

more coughing fits.

My eyes fluttered open, revealing unknown dank surroundings and barely any light. The only illumination came from a few sporadic cracks in what I guess were the walls. My vision was still very blurry, and my head felt like a moose had sat on it, so I could hardly make out my surroundings.

My first instinct was to stand up; however, as I tried to rise from my seated position, I found myself stuck. Twisting my torso from side to side, I soon discovered I was tied to an object—tied tightly too. As I groaned, I heard what sounded like a tiny voice.

"Hello?" I called, and blanched at the echo my voice made. With what I learned about sound waves and such, I quickly realized that I was in a very large room, which didn't make me feel any better.

"Shh!"

I gasped as the sound of someone's voice flowed through the silence, and my entire body tensed up. The sound had come from a few feet ahead, which made me wonder if the person who brought me here was still here.

"Who's there?" I called warily, wondering if I truly wanted to know the answer.

answer.

"Please, keep still," a soft, pleading whimper answered and fell back into silence.

"Where am I?" I wasn't about to be quiet just because a stranger asked me to. As I stared off into the darkness, my stomach began to knot up, and I wondered where I was.

"Please," the voice begged and, as I heard a shuffling of what sounded like chains, I saw the face of a very young girl in a sliver of light. Her right cheek was puffy, badly bruised, and her forehead was trickling blood near her hairline. "Don't make her come back."

"Who?"

"The white-haired demon," the girl whispered, her voice trembling the entire time. She shifted and appeared to lie on her back, and I immediately recognized her.

"Susan?" I knew this girl from the previous year at Forks High School. She had been a senior, while I was a junior, and had graduated alongside Rosalie and Emmett. What on earth was she doing here? "Susan Mayfield?"

Her eyes turned in my direction. "You know me?"

"Y-Yes," I stuttered as I tried to sit up, and, whatever was restraining me, dug deep into my stomach, forcing me to slouch again. As I turned my eyes down, wincing at the discomfort I was in, I noticed that Susan was staring at me expectantly. "Not personally, but, I knew you from school."

"I r-remember you," Susan breathed and let her hand trace across her face. As the light caught the delicate fabric of her white shirt, I immediately noticed the dark marks that littered her blouse. My stomach churned as I realized that they were, in fact, blood stains. "Y-You spent y-you're t-time w-with the C-C-Cullens."

Her teeth began to chatter and I was completely confused why; despite the cold wind whipping outside, it was strangely humid inside wherever we were. In fact, if I could untie myself, the first thing I would do would be to take off my jacket, which was causing my skin to bead with sweat.

"Yes, that's me," I answered her question, briefly remembering all the time I spent with Edward and Alice at Forks high school. Taking a deep breath, as the memories returned with full force but without much pain, I forced a smile in her direction. "I'm Bella Swan."

Susan's face fell. "B-Bella?"

The tone in her voice made my stomach twist in fear, though I didn't know why.

"Yes?"

"Y-You s-should n-not be h-here," she wailed softly, and turned her attention to the darkness that surrounded us. "Y-You s-should l-leave."

"I can't move," I confessed and tried to shift my body again, only to be met with more discomfort. As I refocused on Susan, my lips trembled as I noticed the look of utter horror on her face. "What is it?"

"Bella," she whispered and shook her head. "We're both going to die."

"How do you know?"

All at once Susan's eyes bulged and her mouth twisted in a horrible grimace. Just as I was about to ask her what was wrong, a blood curdling scream came from her lips. I continued to watch in horror as she began coughing violently, expelling blood with every gag. Nausea twisted my gut, and, as I leaned forward, I vomited on the floor.

"Susan," I choked out in between heaves, "what is—"

Her nails came forward, gripping at the cracks in the old cement floor, and she coughed, spitting blood a few feet from me. I tried to push my chair away from her, but it was impossible, almost like I was glued to the floor.

My eyes found Susan's seconds before she started screaming again. Three of her finger nails snapped off under the pressure, but she still continued to claw at the ground, attempting to get away from whatever was harming her.

I shut my eyes and balked at the sound of her horrifying cries and the gurgling noise she was starting to make. My eyes popped open at the sudden absence of her yelling, and gasped. There was a slim figure on top of Susan's body, bent slightly, drinking from her torso. Tears came to my eyes, and my stomach began to ache again, as the poor girl's body twitched three times before falling still.

The white-haired stranger dropped Susan's body with a careless gesture, dropping her into a heap on the floor, and exposing the open wound she had left behind. Susan's torso had been ripped open, mangled and mauled, from the middle of her back to just about her lower back. A stream of blood was traveling across the wooden floor, making its way in my direction. I gagged as the tiny bit of light, from the cracks in the wall, shined directly on her spinal cord, which was protruding from the gash.

"I'm so happy you've awakened, child," the stranger cooed, hauntingly, staring intently at me with her blood red eyes. "We can finally begin."

"Who are you?" I demanded, though my quivering voice revealed the fear I was trying to keep bottled up inside.

I silently wished that there was more light, and I, almost instantly, felt a surge of air above me. Half a second later, the sounds of breaking glass filled the silence, and I gasped as a waterfall of moonlight crashed upon me. My eyes adjusted and I realized exactly where I was: the old Forks warehouse.

The building had been closed in the fifties, and should have been torn down, but a few of the old employees were fighting city hall to have the old building restored as a "historical marker". The dust, unsettled by the breaking of the glass, found its way to my lungs, making me cough violently. I cried out in agony as I hacked and gagged, and groaned when I realized that the car accident probably injured me more than I was aware of. _If only I could get up, I could see how serious my injuries are._

"That's more like it," she said, and I turned and gasped. Her white hair seemed to glitter in the moonlight, and she grinned malevolently in my direction. "It's always nice to see who you're talking to, isn't it?"

"Y-You, I know y-you," I stuttered and the cloaker cocked her head to the side. "Y-You're the s-scout."

Her eyes widened and she laughed, which I found very odd. After a few seconds of her booming hysterics, she shook her head. "No, my dear, I am not. The scout has already come and gone."

"Then who are you?" The McRaes had assumed that the scout was also the cloaker; who else could she be if she was not here to find them?

"My name is Ehdrid, just like the goddess," she responded, bowing slightly at the waist, "although my masters prefer to call me 'the hider'."

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here to find the two abominations," she said, her features becoming stern, "and destroy them."

I swallowed hard, knowing exactly what two she was speaking of, and fidgeted in my seat. My eyes turned down, and I realized my body was tightly bound in blackened chains. I glared at her openly, as I twisted in my seat, and asked, "What do you want with me?"

"You can't catch a beast without bait," she answered and moved closer to me.

"Are you going to kill me?"

"No," she sighed, her expression contorting to bored grimace. "Your death will bring me no more pleasure than drowning kittens."

"Then why—"

"I'm sorry, Bella," she said quickly, cutting off my question, and seized my arm. "I'm on a tight schedule, so you won't mind if I speed things up, will you?"

Before I could answer, she broke the top half of my restraints, pulled my arm out violently, which caused me to yelp, and drew a line across the top of my arm with her index finger. I cried out in pain as a dark line formed across my skin, and my stomach began to churn at the acrid smell of my own blood. Ehdrid pulled a piece of cloth from her back pocket, and dabbed my fresh wound with it. At first, I thought she was actually making an attempt to clean the area, but, when she lifted the fabric to her nose, I realized exactly what she was doing. Ehdrid was gathering my scent.

"Now," she said, moving away from me, "try not to move around, and don't make too much noise. You don't want to end up like them."

She pointed behind me, and, after turning my head, I spied three bodies lying on the floor. The first was male, and his body was almost torn in two, his entrails leaking out of his open stomach, while the second, a female, had been decapitated. My eyes welled up when I spied the familiar body of Susan, whom I had just been speaking with, strewn across the ground.

I turned back, wanting to curse the violent creature responsible for these killings, but she had already vanished into the dark. I kicked at the floor, feeling completely helpless, and howled as a sharp pain radiated from my torso. The tears began to stream down my face as I imagined the horrible trap Ary and Argos could walk into—or Eric. A long extinguished feeling erupted in my chest, filling me with dread and a soul crushing agony. If anything were to happen to Eric, I didn't know what I'd

do. He'd become so essential to me, that life without him was seemingly impossible—because I loved him.

_Why do I have to realize this now?_

Why did grand epiphanies always come at the worst possible time? I felt like Scarlett at the very end of _Gone with the Wind_; finally seeing the light when it was too late. Despite the pain it caused me, I began hopping up and down in my chair, trying to make as much noise as possible. The McRaes had advanced hearing, so maybe they'd hear me before they fell into Ehdrid's trap. Unfortunately, every time I forced the chair off the ground, more blood appeared to pump from my arm. I turned my eyes to the wound, and was slightly grateful that it wasn't as deep as I thought it

was—wouldn't require stitches at all. However, the sharp stabbing pain near my ribs was what concerned me the most. It didn't feel like anything was broken, so I deduced that it was probably a huge bruise that covered the entire right half of my body.

Seeing as I couldn't move the chair without damaging myself further, I started thinking about yelling as loud as I could. Maybe someone on the highway would hear me. I grew nervous, remembering that Ehdrid had asked me to be quiet, but my worry for the McRaes superseded my fear.

"HELLO!" I cried, cringing at the booming echo it caused. "PLEASE CAN ANYBODY HEAR ME?"

Despair filled me though when I realized that it was the middle of the night on Thanksgiving; no one would be traveling on the highway this late. No one was going to hear my screams. I sobbed heavily and leaned back against the chair, almost surrendering to my fate. Then again, she had said she wasn't going to kill me; so what would happen if Ehdrid's plan didn't work?

A twig snapped outside, rousing me from my thoughts, and I gasped as Ehdrid came sailing midair through the dingy, broken windows. As she landed, her face turned in my direction, and she strode across the floor, closing the distance between us. Once she was close enough, Ehdrid placed her foot on the edge of my chair, and pushed me back. I sailed backwards, too shocked to scream, and hit the wall with an excruciating thud.

"I don't like being toyed with, Isabella," she growled and grabbed the back of my hair. "When I ask someone to be quiet and not to move, I expect them to obey."

She let go of my hair, and I groaned as my scalp began to throb mercilessly.

"It doesn't matter," Ehdrid said and moved away from me. "The trap is set—and someone's already taken the bait."

My head snapped up, but, once again, Ehdrid had vanished into the darkness. My body trembled and I wondered who had found their way here. Argos? Melena? Avarice? Or was it Eric? I twisted against the chains, regardless of the pain, and groaned when I heard the familiar voice.

"BELLA? WHERE ARE YOU?"

My heart was beating like a drum, and I couldn't decide whether I should answer Eric or not. I shut my mouth tight, hoping that he'd move on and not fall into the trap that Ehdrid had set. However, his voice continued to get closer, and it dawned on me that not only could he smell my blood, but could probably hear my heart.

Sure enough, a few moments later a shadow came through the window, and I immediately recognized Eric's shape. I sighed and groaned at the same time; I was happy to see him, but terrified that he was about to be killed trying to save me. After a few steps, Eric turned and we made eye contact.

"Bella!" Eric rushed towards me and cupped my face. "Are you all right? What happened to you?"

"Eric," I whispered urgently. "Please, leave."

"What?"

"Please, Eric," I pleaded, the tears pouring down my cheeks. "Trust me; you need to get out of here."

"I'm not going to leave you," he insisted firmly.

"How enchanting." Ehdrid's voice resonated throughout the entire warehouse, and Eric immediately turned to shield me. Across the way, she stepped out of the shadows and chuckled. "I'm sorry, but please enlighten me, who the hell are you?"

"You," Eric growled and took a step forward. "You're the one who's been around our home."

"_You're _a McRae?"

"I'm Erickson McRae," he hissed in response and continued to take small steps forward, his back arching as he moved closer. "If you know what's good for you, you'll release Bella. This is between you, my family, and I."

"Hmm," Ehdrid hummed and scratched her chin. "I was supposed to find the two beasts, but, I guess you're better than nothing. All right."

She blurred forward, a feral snarl ripping from her, and made contact with Eric's awaiting form. The two immediately began swiping and ripping at the other's clothing and skin, roaring and grunting during their struggle. Eric broke away from Ehdrid and flipped through the air, landing a good three yards away, and crouched low to the ground, breathing heavily.

"Is that all?" Eric laughed and straightened up. "I expected more—."

Eric was cut off as Ehdrid rushed forward, and, after a quick kick to his legs—knocking him off balance—she wrapped her arms securely around his midsection. I shouted in protest as Eric began to cry out in agony, and my eyes bulged when I saw Ehdrid started tearing at Eric's flesh. The moonlight made the venom, pouring out of his wounds, glitter brightly.

Once the clear liquid touched the floor, it began to sizzle and scorch, filling the space with a sulphuric odor that had my head spinning.

"Please, no!" Despite my incessant pleading, she continued and even brought her lips to his neck, ripping a piece away from his shoulder and spitting it across the room. "STOP IT! HELP! SOMEONE HELP!"

Eric grunted and reached back with his arms, attempting to get a grip on her, but failed. Ehdrid reached forward and bit into his forearm, forcing another pain-filled grunt from my Eric. She stood up slowly, carrying Eric's still-struggling body along with her, and moved to another corner of the room. With a simple flick of her foot, she knocked over a jar of liquid, which spilled everywhere. One sniff told me exactly what was in the jar; it was gasoline.

Almost on cue, Ehdrid produced a small match, lit it, and tossed it, immediately forming a wave of fire a few feet away from her. My heart ripped in half, knowing that no one would hear our shouting, realizing that I was about to watch Eric McRae die. My cries turned into begging, as I desperately called for anyone or anything to help. Eric's howls were ripping away at my soul, and, as he attempted to pull himself away, Ehdrid pulled his arm up, ready to rip it off and cast it into the fire.

I closed my eyes, unable to bear the sight, but, above the screams, the snarling, and the hissing, I heard the sound of hope. Out across the darkness of the forest, I heard an inhuman roar.


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: **The Fight**

I squinted through the black smoke, which was beginning to billow around me, and my watery eyes picked out a distinct feminine silhouette. The putrid air found its way into my lungs and had me coughing and wheezing, making every attempt to find fresh air. When I glanced up again, the shadowy figure was gone.

I had only a few seconds to wonder what, or who, I had just seen, when the wall on the opposite side of the building came crashing down. My head lowered instinctively, trying to protect my face from the dust and debris. My eyes rose, confused how such a firm stone wall could've come plummeting down so easily, and immediately got my answer.

The figure was illuminated by the fire, and I gasped as my gaze fell on Aryana—my best friend. Her eyes, normally a creamy blue, were a vivid yellow and set directly on the cloaker. Ary's lips were slightly raised, revealing her perfect teeth, and her body began to lower into a crouch. I squirmed in my chair, as a line of fire began trailing towards me, and Ary's head whipped in my direction. Almost instantly, her hard exterior melted, and her eyes widened in shock.

"Bella?" Her figure blurred in my direction, attempting to assist me, but Ehdrid had other plans.

The vicious woman intercepted my best friend, using her shoulder as a battering ram, which sent Aryana flying into a stone pillar. I screamed after Ary, worried that she would be killed trying to save me, and begged Ehdrid not to kill her—though she ignored me.

"I've been waiting for this," Ehdrid growled, advancing toward Ary.

"I know you," Ary responded, having regained her composure. "I met you in Moscow."

"That you did," Ehdrid confirmed, still moving slowly towards her, back slightly bent.

"You were with that gangly, slack-jawed, male," Ary said, which made Ehdrid come to an immediate halt, "the one who didn't know when to shut up."

"His name was Sven, and he was mine!" Ehdrid answered angrily, roaring at Ary. "You killed him, and that's why I'm here. Your life to pay for his."

"You have a good reason for wanting to take my life," Ary sighed, lowering her eyes slightly, and when she looked back at Ehdrid, she was apologetic. "Unfortunately, my death has already been promised to another. But, it will be an honor to send you to meet your Sven."

Two things happened simultaneously as I watched in horror. Ehdrid snarled viciously, exposing her razor sharp teeth, and rushed forward, ready to rip Ary to pieces. At the same time, Ary opened her mouth and the most inhuman sound came pouring out; it was a roar, like you'd hear from a lion, only much louder and more powerful. I cringed, feeling my ear drums begin to shake, and cried out as Ary's outburst made my skin crawl. As the sound lightened, the two women rushed at each other, ready to destroy the other.

Ary and Ehdrid crashed together, the sound reminding me of the Cullens' baseball game. Emmett and Edward had slammed into one another, and the noise was louder than thunder. I refocused on my best friend, who had easily overpowered the vampire she was battling, and had her pinned on the ground.

Ehdrid wasn't as strong as Aryana, but she was still a skilled fighter. It took her only a few seconds to wriggle out of Ary's grasp, extend her foot in front of her, and push the hybrid across the room. Ehdrid flipped onto her back and cackled before rushing back towards Ary.

The two locked together once again, making every attempt to ensnare the other with their own teeth. Despite Ehdrid's fighting skills, Ary was simply too strong, and with a final push, the vampire was on the ground again. A groan from beside me caught my attention, and, when I turned, I saw Eric rolling on the ground. The wounds seemed to be healing, but they were still causing him pain. I wanted to go to him, but couldn't move.

"Eric?" I called out and he looked at me. "Are you all right?"

There was no response, and a horrible feeling twisted my gut as I watched him laying there. The tears streamed down my cheeks, and I felt my body go limp. A huge crash forced me to look back to the fight between Ary and Ehdrid, and found them separated by a fallen beam.

"You think you can escape?" Ehdrid mocked Ary, her face twisting to a sadistic grin. "Even if you kill me, they'll still hunt you. One day, they'll find you, and they'll kill you and your ridiculous followers."

"That's a wish that will never come true," Ary responded with a fierce growl.

"Let's finish this," Ehdrid hissed and took a step towards my best friend. "I'm aching to destroy you, freak."

Ary didn't respond verbally, but her body was a whole different story. She rolled her head sideways, almost like she was cracking her neck, but as she did so a guttural rumble echoed through the empty building. A second later, she slashed at the fallen beam separating the two of them, and it split in half. I instinctively lowered my head as shards of wood flew in all directions.

When I opened my eyes, I shuddered as I saw Ary's body quiver and convulse before my very eyes. Her arms and legs began to swell, extending an additional foot in length, and began to change in color and texture. I grimaced as a series of pops and cracks ricocheted against the walls—all coming from Ary's body. Her skin appeared to bleach—fade from her creamy pallid exterior to a sickly white shade—and sprouted fur. Her torso had begun to change, lengthening and bulking up like her appendages, as well as her face.

Ary's black hair faded to a light gray, while her feminine features distorted rapidly. Her ears pushed up, forming a sharp point, while her mouth lengthened into a snout, and her face widened significantly, all covered in the same white fur that covered the rest of her body.

There was a thick ripping noise as her clothes tore, destroyed by her rapidly expanding body, and hung loosely around her neck and waist. The small, yet athletic form of my best friend had been replaced by a massive creature unlike any I had seen. From the side, she looked like a cat—yet, not. She stood on two legs, slightly hunched over, the claws on her toes digging into the floor beneath her. As the beast panted, I caught the sight of massive teeth, about three inches in length and my eyes widened.

"Well," Ehdrid said snidely, breaking the silence, "I can see why you were the main attraction."

I knew this was the wrong thing for her to say, but I didn't anticipate Ary's reaction. She lashed out with her right paw, ensnaring Ehdrid's leg, and dragged her, screaming and clawing at the ground. Once Ary had her closer, she raised her other paw, ready to strike the vampire. Ehdrid, seeing this too, thrust her free leg upward into Ary's gut, and pulled herself away from the giant animal.

Ary was on her feet at once, moving after the vampire, crashing through everything in her path to get to Ehdrid. I was amazed at how fast she moved, despite her hulking size. She maneuvered just as graceful as she did in her human form—liquid, flowing, like a dancer.

I was so entranced by what was going on, it didn't register that the two were getting dangerously close to me. Ehdrid swept nearer to where I was, and, as I realized her plan, it was too late. She hopped directly in front of the chair that held me, allowing Aryana to get close enough to swipe at her, but moved away at the last moment. This left me directly in Ary's path of destruction.

We made eye contact just as her paw came down, both understanding what was about to happen, and I could see recognition in her bright yellow eyes, as well as horror. She struck the side of my chair, which broke the chains and sent me flying across the space, an instant pain reverberating throughout my body. I cried out as I fell towards the flames, which had spread significantly, and closed my eyes—ready to accept death.

However, as I expected to be burned alive, I was greeted by a welcoming cold sensation. Opening my eyes, I sighed in relief to find Eric looking down at me, pure panic in his eyes. He thrust his back against a wall, and I could see Ary and the white-haired demon still fighting, each one taking turns at attacking the other.

"I have to get you out of here," Eric growled, looking up in Ary's direction.

"W-What about Ary?" I found it difficult to speak with the sharp pain tearing at my torso. "W-We c-can't leave h-her."

He glanced up and down constantly, deeply conflicted, and grimaced as he put me down. "Will you be all right?"

"G-Go," I growled and cringed at the agonizing torture slowly creeping up my body.

Eric didn't hesitate; he bounded away from me, jumping over the flames, and was at Ary's side immediately. As his sister took a step back, Eric headed forward and ensnared Ehdrid by the arms, but she tossed him off easily, twisting and turning until he couldn't hold on any longer. The sadistic vampire landed a kick to Eric's chest, which sent him flying through a wall and into the forest. She didn't try to go after him though; instead, she refocused on Ary.

I cringed as a fiery pain riveted through me, twisting my vision, making me see double. I toppled over on the ground, consumed by the agony, and was about to pass out when I heard a horrible scream. Struggling to push myself up right, I glanced back towards Ary and found her lying on her side, the vampire standing above her with a smug grin.

To my utter horror, Ehdrid placed her foot on Ary's head, a determined look on her face, and raised her leg. It appeared that she was going to smash Ary's skull with her foot—I couldn't let that happen. Despite my injury, I pushed myself off the ground and wobbled towards the vampire, whose eyes were focused on my wounded best friend.

"This is the end," I heard Ehdrid growl, and I quickened my feeble pace.

"Leave her alone," I cried, holding onto a wooden beam for support, glaring at her.

"Are you still here?" Ehdrid's face was of amusement and bewilderment.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Bella, but this is the end of this creature."

"Please," I moaned between clenched teeth.

"Are you begging?" Ehdrid's attention was fully on me, and I noticed the tension on Ary was lessening. "All right, I might listen, if you get on your knees."

I cringed under Ehdrid's sadistic smile, but got down on my knees, wincing at the feeling that rushed up my body. "Please, spare Aryana."

"My goodness," Ehdrid cackled, clasping her hands together. "I've never seen such devotion in a human before. You certainly are something Miss Bella, in fact, I'm positive the Lords would be interested in you as well. As soon as I diminish this pest, you and I are going on a little trip."

I swallowed heavily, the nervousness and fear consuming me, and closed my eyes, not wanting to see Ary die. Through the darkness, I heard the same inhuman roar that belonged to my best friend, and moments later a blood-curdling scream. My eyelids popped open in time to see Ary standing up, with the white-haired vampire caught in her massive jaws.

Ehdrid pulled her hands across Aryana's shoulders, which tore at her furry covering and became matted with bright red blood. She arched her back, roaring in pain, and sank her teeth deeper into the vampire in her mouth.

The cries coming from Ehdrid were nothing short of horrifying, and I brought my hands to my ears, trying to muffle to sound but it was no use. Ary pinned her down on the ground with both paws, and bit down on the top of her skull. Being only five feet away, I felt her venom splash across my skin, and I balked at the smell of sulphur and rotten eggs. Seconds later, I heard a ripping noise, which could only be described as Styrofoam being torn to bits, and then the shouting stopped.

Ary had successfully ripped her head away from her body, before tossing it into the flames that were surrounding us. I sighed heavily and instantly regretted it, letting a strangled sob exit my body. Ary was immediately by my side, inspecting me, without touching me.

I wasn't sure why but, I reached out and let my hand rest on Ary's soft arm, feeling the white fur beneath my fingers. The texture was rough, yet still soft and plush. A rumble flowed through her chest as I continued to feel her outer covering.

"I missed you," I whispered as she lowered her head closer to me.

"Aryana!" Eric called as he appeared beside us. "We need to get out of here, now!"

My vision began to fail me, and I felt myself slipping in and out of consciousness, in my moments of lucidity I felt weightless. Eric picked me up gently, and, as soon as we exited the burning building, it collapsed in a waterfall of flames and smoke. I sucked in deep breaths, but, as Eric tried to speak to me, I fell into darkness.


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: **Goodbye.**

The blackness separated, peeling away like a curtain, and the first sight that greeted me was a bright light, flashing straight into my eyes. I reacted, in my opinion appropriately, shaking my head and desperately trying to force myself to move, a searing sharp pain shot straight up the left side of my body, making me yelp in pain.

"Please, lie back, Miss Swan," an irritated, unfamiliar female voice requested from the other side of the light. My eyes narrowed as the beam of light was pulled away, revealing a mid-30's, brown-haired woman, wearing a nametag that said Melissa. Her teal scrubs confused me; she was dressed like a nurse that worked in a hospital. "Doctor Gerandy?"

As my eyes adjusted, I examined the off-white walls, the generic paintings you could find at a gas station, the outfit of the strange woman, and Dr. Gerandy. He gave me a cautious smile—the same one I got when he'd examined me after I'd been found in the woods; the look just screamed pity. The old, balding man made his way to me and leaned over, placing his warm hands on my torso.

"Definitely broken ribs," Dr. Gerandy called over his shoulder, after I squeaked in pain. "Bella, do you remember anything before you blacked out?"

The last thing I remembered was watching Ary rip apart the vampire who'd been stalking the McRaes and me. The nightmarish image was burned into my subconscious, and I don't know if I'd ever let it go. My face cringed, desperately trying to do away with the memory, and, as I looked up, I caught the doctor's concerned stare. Since I couldn't tell him what really happened, I sighed and shook my head.

"Nothing," I muttered, not liking the scratchiness of my own voice. "How did I get here?"

"Your boyfriend brought you in," Dr. Gerandy responded as he wrote on his clipboard. "According to him, he was driving you back home when he hit a deer. You were unconscious and bleeding, so he called his sister and they brought you to Forks General." He lowered his clipboard and smirked at the nurse. "They say his car's totaled; that's what he gets for buying an import though."

"But, I—"

"Bella!" Charlie came crashing through the door, his face panic-stricken, and came to a halt by my bed, barely acknowledging Dr. Gerandy. "What happened to you? I swear, you're gone a few hours and this is what happens? I never should've let you—"

"Hello, Charlie," Dr. Gerandy said, his voice and posture extremely tense.

Ever since I had been found in the forest, my dad and Dr. Gerandy hadn't been on speaking terms. Charlie refused to tell me what was going on, and I hadn't been too focused the last few months, so I never pressed. Now, I watched them both, eager to know what had happened and if they had cleared it up.

"Doc," Charlie replied gruffly and begrudgingly shook his hand. "What happened to my daughter?"

"Bella and her boyfriend, Eric, hit a deer on their way back into town," the doctor informed Charlie, barely acknowledging me.

"How bad is she, doc?" Charlie had followed Dr. Gerandy's lead and had completely nixed me out of the conversation. The two men turned their backs on me completely and lowered their voices.

_Why am I not allowed to know what's wrong with me?_

"Bella's got three broken ribs on her left side," Dr. Gerandy informed Charlie, who grimaced as he was shown the x-rays. "She's also received some mild scrapes and bruises over a good portion of her body, as well as smoke inhalation."

"Smoke inhalation?" Charlie's voice was speculative, and I knew he was probably wondered how I could have inhaled smoke if it was a car accident. "How did that happen?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Dr. Gerandy sighed and shook his head. "It possibly happened while Bella was unconscious. Some of the fumes that a leaking air conditioner lets off can cause the same reaction. However, it must've been a great deal, because Bella's lungs were packed full."

"Dr. Gerandy?" I called over to my father and the doctor, wanting to know the most important piece of information. "Where's Eric?"

"He said he had to leave," Dr. Gerandy answered, turning slightly in my direction. "However, he did say he'd return within the next couple hours."

"Good," Charlie piped in gruffly. "I have some questions for that boy."

"Dad," I growled and huffed. "He wasn't speeding."

"Don't start that, young lady," Charlie shot back, scowling at me. "You could've been killed, and I'm not going to let another boy get off the hook for this."

My mouth gaped open, astonished that Charlie would bring up Edward at a time like this, but he merely followed the doctor out the door. I stewed alone, occasionally glancing at the door to see if anyone had returned, angry at my dad, but also worried about Eric—and Ary. The last I could remember was Ary ripping Ehdrid to pieces, so she had to be okay, didn't she?

"Bella, I have to leave for a bit," Charlie said as he marched back in, his expression strained. "Someone set fire to the old Forks warehouse. The fire's almost out, so I need to find out what caused it."

"Okay," I said bleakly, wondering if there was any way my presence there could be determined. Honestly though, my emotions and fears were pulling me in so many different directions that I couldn't bring myself to care.

Once Charlie had left, a nurse came in, telling me that she was going to give me an additional pain killer, which was strange because they already had me on a morphine drip.

"Trust me," the nurse said, giving me a strangely apologetic look, when I asked the purpose of a second medication. "You're going to need this."

"Why?" I asked, thoroughly alarmed by the look she was giving me. It was like she knew something that I didn't.

"Doctor Gerandy needs to make sure your ribs haven't moved," the nurse said while inserting the needle in the IV attached to my arm. As the tube rushed the liquid into my vein, a warm sensation immediately shot up through my bicep and into the rest of my body. "In order to do that, he needs to feel the area. I've had broken ribs before—it's going to be extremely uncomfortable."

"Thanks, I guess," I muttered as she headed out. My body began to react slowly to the pain killer; a soft, warm numbing sensation washed throughout me. Almost like I was slowly being submerged in lukewarm water. My eyelids softly closed, and I felt myself begin to relax.

"Feeling any better?"

My eyes shot open and I turned towards the voice I had just heard, only to find Aryana sitting on the hospital bed next to mine. I smiled at her, happy that she was all right, but she didn't return my enthusiasm; she merely stared at me with a grim frown.

"I'm feeling much better," I sighed, confused by the sound of my own voice.

"I bet you are," Ary said, a light smile appearing at the corners of her lips. "That nurse gave you enough morphine to stop a grown man."

"Really?"

"Well, maybe not that much." She shrugged and jumped off her perch, moving beside me quickly. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I didn't know she'd do this to you."

"It's okay," I said with a chuckle. "I'm used to this."

"Yes," she nodded and her face fell, "but this is my fault."

"What? Ary, no," I contested and tried to sit up, but found it difficult with the drugs in my system. "You saved Eric and me! She was going to kill him!"

"And in doing so," she answered despondently, "I nearly killed you."

"I don't know what you want me to say," I mumbled and laid back when my head began to spin. "Do you want me to hate you? Should I scream and tell everyone that you did this to me? I refuse to do that, Ary, so knock it off."

"You don't understand," Ary muttered and turned away, which upset me even more.

"Everyone tells me that," I growled and she turned back to me. "What don't I understand?"

"You don't understand that I'm dangerous, Bella," she exclaimed, fisting her hair with both hands. "You're one of the best friends I've ever had—and look what I did to you!"

A rumble came from her chest and she turned her back on me, a slight tremor running over her body told me she was losing her nerve. After a few seconds, she took a deep breath and shifted back to face me, the same morose frown had returned.

"I'm sorry," she groaned and sat down on the bed again. "I just can't seem to keep it together like I used to."

"Let's talk about something else," I suggested, not wanting to see Ary anymore depressed than she already was. As my mind danced over different topics, I decided to find out what was next. "So, what happens now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Ehdrid's gone," I said, feeling a little happier about that fact. "What are you and the others going to do now?"

She hung her head. "We're leaving, Bella."

"What? No!" I cried, not believing what I was hearing. Was I really going to lose another beloved family? "There has to be another way, Ary, please don't go."

"We have to," she answered weakly, refusing to look at me. "Once they realize she's gone, they're going to start looking for the last place she was—because that's where we'll be."

Tears formed in my eyes as I pondered what life would be like without Ary…without Eric. He had said he'd come back for me, but was that still true? Even if he would, I'd be without him for over a month, and that wasn't sounding very promising. I needed him. An idea formed in my head, and, before I could think it over, I spit it out.

"Take me with you," I said and gazed at Ary hopefully.

"No, Bella," she replied, shaking her head. "Where we're going—it's no place for a human."

"Then change me," I interjected quickly. "Please, Ary, don't leave me behind—I want to come with you."

"I'm sorry," she sighed, and I knew there was no dissuading her.

"So, this is goodbye?" I couldn't look at her, if I did, then I'd cry.

"No," Ary sighed and my head shot up. "Well, not exactly, anyway. We need to disappear for awhile, Bella—maybe for a few months—but I will see you again."

"Where will you go?" I was feeling a bit better, now that I knew that I would see the McRaes again.

"Bella, I just spoke with the doc—." Charlie came strolling into the room, and halted immediately as his eyes found Ary standing beside me. "You."

"Dad," I growled, embarrassed by the critical stare he was giving my best friend. "You remember Ary, right?"

"Where's your brother?" Charlie demanded, moving closer to her. "I need to ask that boy a few questions."

"He's at home," Ary responded smoothly, clearly not intimidated by Charlie's stiff posture and stern expression. "I'm sorry. Is there something wrong?"

"Wrong?" The veins in Charlie's neck popped a little but he seemed to keep his composure. "My daughter's in the hospital, and I want to know why."

"Dad, Dr. Gerandy told you already," I cried, reeling in disbelief at the presence of his temper. Charlie was normally so mild-mannered at home; to see him in such a state was mind boggling.

"No, it's all right, Bella," Ary said softly, giving me a wink. "Your father's had quite a fright—it's understandable for him to act this way. Chief Swan, please, I'll answer any questions you need answered, and my brother can fill in the blanks later, if need be."

"Well…all right," Charlie stammered, probably not used to someone being so compliant. "Let's start with how this happened."

"Well, Erickson hit a deer crossing the street," Ary explained while Charlie began writing on a small notepad. "He tried to swerve and miss it, but the animal kept aiming for his car, and the rest is history."

"No, it's not history," Charlie interjected, looking up from his pad. "The doc said that Bella had a good amount of smoke inhalation. I find it a little too coincidental that the old warehouse burned down at the same time this all happened."

Ary cocked her head to the side, and I swallowed heavily as I wondered what answer she would have. Charlie glowered at her, which was irritating me, but if it bothered her then she didn't show it.

"Are you implying, Chief Swan," Ary spoke slowly, her voice becoming slightly irritated, "that my brother crashed his own car, carried his girlfriend through dense foliage into a rundown building, set it on fire, and then brought her to the hospital?"

"Well…I…" Charlie trailed off, his face flushing brightly, and I wondered if he knew how ridiculous he seemed right now. I felt bad for him, but, then again, it served him right. Dr. Gerandy had told him what happened and that wasn't enough.

"Chief Swan," Ary said softly and touched his shoulder. "I know this must be very difficult for you, but, I can assure you that Eric would never do anything to hurt Bella. He was absolutely beside himself when we brought her in, you can ask the nurses. The only reason he's not here is because the hospital staff asked him to leave. He was very belligerent when the doctor wasn't able to see Bella immediately, and he went looking for him. It really was a mess."

Tears formed in my eyes as I thought of Eric going out of his mind while I was unconscious, and the need to see him became worse. I was slightly relieved when Charlie nodded, closed his writing pad, and excused himself from the room. My face was thoroughly flushed by the time Ary and I were able to talk privately, and I began to sob softly.

"Did that really happen?" I asked, in between heaves, and Ary nodded. "When can I see him? There's something I really need to tell him."

"When I say we're leaving, Bella," Ary said slowly, cringing. "I mean we're leaving as soon as possible. Eric's already left."

"What?" My scratchy voice rose a little and cracked, which made me cough. I bent my head down, not wanting her to see the tears, which were coming quicker now. "How could he leave without saying goodbye?"

"Please don't cry," Ary whispered and rested a hand on my leg. "If it helps, he really didn't want to go."

I was sobbing now, overcome with feelings of abandonment and regret, everything that I had felt when Edward left came rushing back tenfold. There wasn't enough morphine in my body to stop the waves of torture that crashed onto me. My body hunched over and my arms coiled around my midsection as the burning radiated through my stomach. My agonizing torture had returned.

"Bella, please look at me," Ary cooed, but I refused.

"You promise," I squeaked in between sobs. "You promise me you'll come back."

"Bella—"

"No, Ary," I growled and my head shot up. I could get through life if I knew I had something to look forward to, a silver lining—a light at the end of the tunnel. "Please, promise that I'll see you again."

Ary looked at me, a strained look on her face, warring emotions tearing across her face as she thought it over. She ran her hand through her hair, tugging at it lightly, and growling angrily. She hopped off the bed and began pacing, speaking rapidly in the language that she and the other McRaes shared. Finally, she stopped and shifted back in my direction.

"I…promise," she said softly, and, with that, she turned and headed out the door.


	29. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: **The End**

December floated by slowly, each day ticking by at a snail's pace, and there was no sign of Ary or the rest of the McRaes. I had to remind myself daily that she had said it might take months for them to return, so I held onto hope that I would see them again. The holidays were a gloomy time for me, given the one gift I wanted had left along with Ary, but Charlie did his best to try and cheer me up.

On Christmas day, I awoke early to make him pancakes topped with plenty of maple syrup, while he happily chipped in by making some bacon and scrambled eggs. I had slowly gone back to work for the Newtons, who were reluctant to give me shifts since I'd handed the majority of my previous ones to Mike in order to spend time with the McRaes. After working almost nonstop, I'd saved up enough to buy Charlie a new fishing rod for his spring trip.

Charlie, on the other hand, had never been very skilled at picking gifts for anyone, so I'd received a Visa gift card with over two hundred dollars on it. My dad gave it to me sheepishly, which made me think he was embarrassed that he didn't know his own daughter well enough to get a proper gift. I hugged him tightly and told him it was the perfect gift, and he blushed, just like I always did. Like father, like daughter.

"So, any word from that boyfriend of yours? Or his sister?" Charlie asked after we had picked up the excess wrapping paper, and I shook my head. My dad sneered and went back to the television, muttering something about "another winner."

He still had mixed feelings about Eric, and I could understand why; Eric had delivered me, seeming half-dead, to the hospital and had disappeared soon after. When I saw Ary again, the first thing I wanted to teach her was how to make a graceful exit. The entire town—or at least the kids I went to school with—was talking about the sudden departure of the mysterious, reclusive family.

There was also a small investigation happening off the highway, trying to find out what had happened to the warehouse. The last thing I needed in my life was someone finding out that I had been somewhat involved with the incineration of that decrepit old building. So far, it was inconclusive—and I really hoped it stayed that way.

School had also become very tense for me. Since the McRaes were no longer there to sit with me at lunch, I was forced to tuck my tail between my legs and attempt to sit with my old group again. The first day was awkward, to say the least, but Angela, Ben, and Mike made it like old times, automatically joking around and including me in the conversation. Eric was very standoffish, which was a little strange, but it was Lauren and Jessica who really made it uncomfortable.

During one lunch hour, Mike was discussing the trip to La Push for their annual winter celebration. The tribe welcomed everyone to join and had tons of crafts and food as well as Quileute stories. When he had asked if I'd like to join them, Lauren threw her napkin down and scoffed loud enough to catch everyone's attention.

"Am I the only one who feels like Bella's little shelf toy?" She growled, and I couldn't help but shrink back under the weight of her stare.

"What are you talking about?" Mike asked, exasperated. His expression and tone of voice hinted that Lauren had complained about… whatever she was complaining about before.

"She dumped all of you for those weird kids," Lauren accused, pointing directly at me. "Now that they're gone, she's come slithering back. Bella, you're such a user!"

"What have I ever done to you, Lauren?" I asked, thoroughly confused by her outburst—and a little ashamed. I hated to admit it, but she was right; I had happily given up my human friends for the chance to live in the supernatural world again. What kind of person was I? Still, that didn't give Lauren—who had always hated me—the right to humiliate me. "Did I wrong you in another life? Why do you hate me?"

"And now you're going to play the victim card," Lauren spat, standing up with her tray while Jessica trailed behind her. "Bella, I can look in the mirror and say 'I'm mean, I'm a bitch'—but you try to act so innocent, like you've never done anything wrong!"

I was flabbergasted and embarrassed, especially when I looked around and realized that a good majority of the lunch room was staring at me. Even my own friends were making me nervous with the mixed expressions they all had: Angela looked shocked, Ben seemed apologetic, Mike was trying to hide his disgusted grimace from Jessica, and Eric was attempting to look uninterested.

"So, excuse me, guys," Lauren continued, "if I'm not willing to sit here and listen to Miss Bella 'I'm-so-fake' Swan talk about how great of a person she is and worm her way back into our group." With that Lauren turned on her heel and stormed out of the cafeteria with Jessica in tow.

Not wanting to see how many people were truly staring at me, I let my head fall to my hands and groaned in response to the humiliation. My mind immediately began wondering if I was everything Lauren had said I was. Did I really try to act innocent?

"Don't listen to her, Bella," Angela whispered, and I turned to face her. "Even before you moved here, Lauren's always been like that. She gets upset whenever the attention isn't one hundred percent on her."

"She's right, though," I grumbled and glanced at everyone at the table. "I owe you all an apology. I completely kicked you guys to the wind. I'm really sorry."

"Hey, it's no biggie, Bella," Eric said, cracking a hint of his usual smile leaning back in his chair.

"I know why you did it," Angela said softly as the guys began complaining about Lauren and Jessica, and I shifted back to face her. "That guy, Erickson, made you forget about Edward for awhile, that's why."

"Was it that obvious?" I asked, not wanting to reveal that I was actually in love with Eric. I wasn't sure why, but I didn't think Angela would understand. How could I have claimed to be in love with Edward, only to fall in love with someone else so soon after? Yeah, she wouldn't have believed that at all.

"A little," Angela admitted and giggled. "Honestly, I kind of liked him better than Edward."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Angela started, after pondering for a few moments, and leaned in like she was telling me a secret. "Eric always made his feelings for you known—physically, I mean. Edward always seemed pretty shy whenever I saw you two together. And Eric also knew how to put Lauren and Jessica in their place."

I could've sworn I heard a record scratch when Angela mentioned Lauren and Jessica. "I don't understand." I narrowed my eyes skeptically. "How did he put them in their place?"

"You don't know?" Angela's eyes widened. "They've been practically throwing themselves at him every chance they get. A month before he left, Lauren followed him into the men's locker room and took off her shirt. He laughed and told her that he would never be interested in her, because he didn't date whores."

"Wow," I muttered, not surprised by what Eric had said. I knew that he loathed Jessica and Lauren—he'd told me so on many occasions—but I was a little astounded that he'd used such harsh words. Still, I was satisfied nonetheless that he had shot down the hateful girl.

"I know." Angela laughed and continued. "Then Jessica tried something similar, only it was much later, and Eric told her that if he was going to cheat on you"—my head shot up—"then, he'd want it to be with someone who wasn't an imbecile."

"How did Jess and Lauren take it?"

"Oh, they've been upset for weeks now, Bella," Angela responded and shook her head. "That's probably why Lauren said what she did just now. She's jealous of you, plain and simple."

"It would be a lot easier if she just ignored me." I sighed, resting my head on the palm of my hand.

Thank goodness, after that little incident, all communication with Lauren stopped completely. Part of me wondered if she had nothing else to say to me, while another part wondered if one of my other friends had talked to her. It really didn't matter one way or the other, so I let it slip from my mind without a thought.

The rest of December passed with holiday parties hosted by several of my friends, and before I knew it, I was thrust into January. My New Year's Eve was spent at Forks High School with all my friends. The school had decided that there was enough money in the budget to hold another dance. In my opinion, Prom and the Spring Dance were more than enough, but I couldn't argue with the excitement that it created amongst the students.

Once again, I was asked to attend the dance, but thankfully this time, my group decided to go together instead of having dates. I still had the dress that Ary had lent me for Eric's party, so I wore it and enjoyed myself as best as I could. It was a slightly stressful night, especially with everyone musing about whom they would kiss at midnight. When that time finally came around, I hid in the bathroom.

Not long into January, however, I had begun to notice some very strange things. The investigation of the destroyed warehouse had been stopped rather abruptly. On Monday, they were claiming that they had a breakthrough and were close to finding out what really happened, and on Tuesday, the case was closed.

_Warehouse fire declared inconclusive. Case closed until further notice._

My friends had also started acting very bizarre. It started when Lauren and Jessica were both out sick for about a week, and when they returned, there was something off about them. If you addressed them directly, then they would answer you, but other than that, they said nothing. One day at lunch, I happened to catch Jessica's eye for a few moments and was shocked to see how stressed she looked. Jessica and Lauren both looked like they hadn't slept in a week, and the strange behavior didn't stop with them.

The next week, not only did my entire group of friends follow suit, there were quite a few people in town who were acting the same way—listless, zombie-like. Even Charlie got…whatever it was. Lauren and Jessica started acting a little bit more like normal after a week, however, whatever ailed them before seemed to be spreading through the town like a wildfire, and I couldn't help but wonder if I was next.

Not long after, Charlie finally snapped out of it as did the remainder of the town, but I hadn't stopped fearing that the strange sickness, if that's what it was, would hit me. It only lasted a week, but it was still abnormal and not something that I wanted to deal with. Unfortunately, I found out all too suddenly that you can never truly hide from anything.

One night, I awoke with a start, almost as if I was having a nightmare even though I wasn't, and glanced around my room. The space was shrouded by darkness, and as I squinted, I made out two distinct silhouettes—tall and masculine. I was prepared to scream, but before I could, the dark outlines moved forward and switched on my desk light, and I gasped at what I saw.

"Lazarus, Avarice!" I exclaimed in a whisper, jumping out of bed and hugging each of them. They'd finally come back! After a month and a half, I was going to see Ary and Eric again. But why hadn't they come to visit me; why did they send Avarice and Lazarus? At the moment, I really didn't care. "I'm so happy to see you."

"Hello, Bella," Avarice responded with a strained smile and stroked my hair. "Are you well?"

"I'm okay," I said, nodding eagerly and unable to keep a goofy grin from erupting across my face. The room was very cold, so I hopped back into bed and began tossing questions at them. "Are you guys okay? How's the family? Where have you been?"

"Everyone's quite well, Bella," Lazarus said, his and Avarice's accents sounded so much richer since I hadn't heard them in awhile. I had to keep from closing my eyes, to bask in the sounds of them speaking. "Our family has been hiding out with the southern vampires in Mexico."

"Mexico?" Usually vampires avoided the sunlight since they sparkled underneath the sun; so why would they seek out such a sunny location? I had never been to Mexico, but I had lived in Arizona, and it was hardly ever cloudy. "That's a little bright for you guys, isn't it?"

"We're very good at masking ourselves," Lazarus remarked with a warm smile, and I nodded.

"So, how are your friends, Bella?" Avarice asked, and I turned to him, his expression faltering a bit. "Is your father well?"

I found his string of questions a little strange, not something that he would ask. Avarice was always pleasant to talk with, but in the time I knew him, he'd never asked about my friends or my father. In fact, Avarice never really seemed the type to go out of his way to ask me anything, so this was indeed strange. My eyes danced from Avarice, looking expectant, to Lazarus, who was avoiding my eyes, and a memory started playing in my mind.

"_You've heard of hypnotists that can help a person diet or make someone forget their own family, right? Lazarus can do something similar, only it's much more permanent."_

My mouth fell open.

"…_he locks certain memories in a person's subconscious..."_

I was instantly on my feet, placing my back against the wall, shaking my head incessantly. Surely I was mistaken. They couldn't have come to take my memories; Ary would never have let them do it. However, their wary eyes and tight lips all but confirmed my suspicions.

"No, please don't do this," I begged, tears pooling in my eyes. "Please?"

"I'm sorry, Bella." Avarice sighed and hung his head, obviously seeing that I had figured out their purpose for being in my bedroom. He glanced at Lazarus, momentarily wearing a look of disgust, before reverting his eyes to me. "Please, try to understand."

"But, why?" I exclaimed, my voice breaking as it wavered.

"If it were up to me," Avarice said lightly, moving forward and taking my hand, leading me to the bed, "you would keep every memory of us—but it's not safe, Bella."

"They have a telepath, just like me," Lazarus commented seriously, not moving from his position.

"No one is like you, brother," Avarice said over his shoulder and smiled at me. "Lazarus is telling the truth, though; one of the pure bloods is able to look into your mind and find out anything he wishes to know. They will surely come here, and they will most assuredly peek into everyone's mind in the town."

"Will it hurt?" I squeaked.

"Of course not," Avarice responded, humored by my question. "I wouldn't let my brother anywhere near you if it would."

I wanted to say anything and everything I could to get them to stay—but I just stood there, speechless. Not once, since I found out about Lazarus's ability, did I imagine they'd do this to me. Now, it made perfect sense, but it still didn't seem fair. Why did I have to be left behind? Why couldn't I go with them?

"Take me with you," I whispered without looking them in the eye. "Please?"

"You don't know what you're saying, Bella," Lazarus answered, and my head shot up.

"Yes, I do," I insisted and moved closer to him, which caused him to take a step backwards. "Ever since I met the Cullens, I knew this was what I wanted."

"The Cullens lead a different life than we do," Lazarus said and shook his head. "Not all vampires get to live in luxury and a twenty-four seven fantasy world. We live as vampires, Bella—not as humans."

I swallowed heavily and took a deep breath. "Please, let me go with you."

Lazarus lowered his head, and when he raised it again, I was met with an ice-cold stare. "No."

"But, Ary promised," I cried, grabbing at my stomach as the wound destroyed what little composure I had left. My best friend had promised that we would see each other again; had she lied to me?

"That was not a promise she should have made," Lazarus replied in a flat, monotone voice.

"Please, Bella," Avarice interceded with an apologetic grimace. "Understand that this is for your protection."

"Stealing my memories isn't protecting me," I grumbled, wrapping my arms around my knees. What would happen when my memories were gone? My thoughts went back to my friends, walking around like robots, and my mouth fell open. "It was you, wasn't it? You made my friends act like zombies."

"You're very insightful for a human," Lazarus said, smiling softly, and nodded. "Yes, I've been in the area for the past few weeks, cleansing the town. But we saved you for last."

"Why?" I demanded angrily. "Are you doing me a favor?"

"Actually, it's a rather peculiar thing, Bella," Lazarus said thoughtfully. "I cannot enter your mind unless Avarice is present. There's something about you that naturally blocks me—it's very frustrating."

"I've noticed it too," Avarice said, and his brow creased. "When Rochester attacked you, I had to physically hold you in order for my ability to be effective. Normally, I can create a mental barrier that reacts to physical harm; however, it didn't seem to work on you."

"So, what does it mean?" Edward's ability was useless on me, so I wasn't surprised that the McRaes' abilities were stunted as well. But that didn't mean that I wasn't curious about why I was so different from everyone else.

"We don't know exactly." Avarice shrugged and smiled. "It means you're special, Bella."

"Right." I snorted and turned away from them.

"Brother," Lazarus muttered, and I turned to see him giving Avarice a disapproving look. "We've idled for far too long."

My stomach lurched while my eyes widened, and I started racing through ideas in my mind—trying to find something that would make them stay. Every thought, and every idea, brought me back to the same two key components: Ary and Eric. I would never see them again. My eyes pooled with tears, and I started sniffling as my nose stuffed up.

"Please don't cry, Bella," Avarice pleaded again as I shifted back to face them, and he stroked my face. The chill of his skin forced goose bumps on my arms, and I relished the feeling. This was the last time I would feel it. "If it helps, you won't remember anything—or anyone."

"What? Like amnesia?" Did Avarice mean that I would lose all my memories or just the ones associated with the McRaes? "What am I going to forget?"

"Any memories that you had with our family," Lazarus answered me sternly, obviously ready to get this over with.

"I don't understand," I muttered and shook my head. "How can you do that?"

"It's quite a long process," he responded with a slight smile, "but my vampire speed helps a great deal. We should be completely finished by morning. I'll be taking your memories and storing them in the unused area of your brain."

"I'm scared," I whispered and shivered in my bed.

"Don't be," Lazarus said and patted my head with his icy palm. "You'll be asleep when this happens."

"Not about that," I moaned and wiped a stray tear from my cheek. "I'm scared of what I'll be like when I wake up. Your family helped me in ways you'll never know, and with that gone, things are going to get bad."

"Time passes," Lazarus said softly in my ear, "even when it seems impossible—even when each tick of the second hand aches like the pulse of blood behind a bruise. It passes unevenly, in strange lurches and dragging lulls, but pass it does. Even for you, Bella."

"I probably won't even remember that." I hung my head, understanding what he was saying, and shifted my attention back to his brother.

"Avarice, will you do me a favor?"

"Of course," he said and nodded.

"Tell Eric that I love him," I squeaked, my voice breaking as I sobbed lightly. "I know if we see each other again, I won't know him, but let him know that there will always be a side of me that belongs to him."

"I…will, Bella," Avarice agreed hesitantly, and Lazarus gave him a concerned look.

"And tell Ary…" the tears were streaming down my face, "…that I'll miss her."

Avarice nodded and stood up as Lazarus kneeled beside my bed, and I realized this was it. Instantaneously, I brought as many memories as I could to mind: the first time I met Ary, the first time Eric and I kissed, when I went to the Cullens' house—as many as I could. I continued to do this, bask in my memories, until I felt an icy touch on my leg, then everything went black.


	30. Epilogue

Epilogue I: **Erickson McRae**

While my trust for Avarice had been somewhat replenished over the years, the same could not be said for his mind-altering brother; Lazarus had permanently lost my good graces a long time ago. This was why I was moving through the quiet streets of Forks, tracking the unique odors of the two McRae brothers. I had a bad feeling, and I deeply hoped that I was wrong.

As I ran, a familiar street came into view, and I had to fight the urge to peek into her window once again. It had been close to two months since I had seen my Bella, and the desire to hold her, to feel her warmth against my frigid being had not wavered. I began to slow my pace, retreating from my vampiric speed to a human dash, but as I was about deviate from my course I picked up a fresh scent. Lazarus had been here quite recently.

The need to find out if my suspicions were correct instantly overrode my resurfaced human tendencies, and I pushed on through the night. The trail led me south of Forks, through the forest, and eventually ended outside our most recent home. I had to admit, as much as I loved the estate, it was reckless for us to reside in something so lavish. Something this large was bound to attract unwanted attention sooner or later. In the previous years, we had stuck to thriving in caves, abandoned houses, or, on occasion, stay on the move. However, since this was a small town, Lazarus had suggested that we find something big, so everyone would feel comfortable. That was his way of taking care of Aryana in his absence.

My spirits fell as my thoughts retreated to the one McRae I actually thought of as family. _Aryana. _Once again, she had reached into the jaws of death and plucked me from its grasp. There was never anything I could do for her in return; except to take her life one day. I never could understand her reasoning for accepting the compromise, but I never pushed.

I opened the front door and found Avarice and Lazarus waiting for me in the living room, the both of them looking stern and slightly upset. I wasn't surprised; they had told me to stay behind.

"Erickson." Avarice nodded his head in acknowledgement, which meant two things: they weren't happy that I was here, and they were up to something. "What are you doing here?"

"Mexico got a little hot for me," I answered nonchalantly, shrugging my shoulders and moving around the room. We hadn't packed anything up when we left, just hopped into the car and sped off into the night. I had wanted to stay behind, to at least say goodbye to her, but Lazarus had practically dragged me into the car, explaining how it would be better.

_What would he know about goodbyes? He sucks at them._

"Erickson, go back to the others," Lazarus remarked firmly, taking a step in my direction.

"No," I growled in response, not liking the threatening undercurrent of his voice. "Not until I see Bella. I have to tell her I'm sorry…for leaving her."

My head fell at my own words; I had done exactly what that bastard had done to her a few months prior. Guilt was wrought all over my face, as it had been for the past couple of months. I could've broke away from the family at any time, rushed back to Forks, and stole Bella away—but I didn't. Instead I lingered in that baron, vampiric wasteland, with those ridiculous female newborns lusting after me day in and day out. _Because_ _of Aryana._

Every mile we put between us and the state of Washington, Ary grew more and more depressed. By the time we reached the southern tip of Texas, she was almost inconsolable. I felt like a sadist when I watched Lazarus try to fawn all over her, to take care of her like he once did, only to have her shirk his advances. I took some sick pleasure in watching his face twist in agonizing rejection, especially when she retreated to my side, allowing me to hug her tight; it served him right for what he had put her through.

"That is…impossible," Lazarus said, his voice faltering as he broke eye contact. "She will not wish to see you now."

I breathed heavily and closed my eyes. "Please, tell me you didn't."

When I opened my eyes again, neither of them was looking at me, and I instantly knew that what I feared most had occurred. Lazarus had erased our existence from Bella's mind; I was a stranger to the woman I loved the most. My body trembled with the intense hatred that overwhelmed me, and, rather than wonder if it was right or wrong, I unleashed my anger.

My body propelled forward and collided with Lazarus, who made no effort to react, sending both of us flying into the wall separating the living room from the bathroom. The tile shattered and the piping in the walls burst, covering us with water. I didn't care. My hands came up and found Lazarus's throat and I gripped it with all my strength, wanting to kill him for everything he'd done. It wasn't enough that he had destroyed Aryana, and the serenity of the family, when he left; he had to demolish my happiness as well.

"Erickson," Avarice called from beyond the broken wall, "drop him."

Did Avarice honestly think that requesting I stop would have any effect? I was through with holding back my aggression, through with bowing to the supposed "head" of the McRae family; now, I just wanted to rip the son of a bitch to pieces. I found it briefly shocking that he made no attempt to fight me, but didn't care; I brought my teeth to his neck and bit down, finally forcing a pained grunt from him, and pulled a chunk of his flesh away from his body.

This was apparently too far.

I was immediately airborne; flying backwards through the air at high speed. Knowing exactly what was happening; I rolled my eyes and waited for my crash landing. It was a window that ultimately suffered under my weight, shattering and giving me my exit into the outside world. Once my body had come to a stop, I found my footing and made my way back into the house. I wasn't finished with him yet.

Avarice stood in front of his brother, a serene expression on his face, and I cursed loudly, knowing that I couldn't touch him. Avarice and Lazarus were powerful by themselves, but together they were unbeatable. I was still confused why the Volturi had refused to help them; Aro liked to collect gifted vampires, so why didn't he want the two brothers?

"Calm yourself, Erickson," Avarice said and took a deep breath. "I know this is…not what you wanted, but it really is what's best for Bella. She wouldn't survive in our life."

"You don't know that," I hissed, fisting my hands in my hair. "I was going to change her; she was going to join the family."

"A newborn would be too much trouble," Avarice sighed and took a step forward. "I'm sorry, Eric—I truly am."

"Did she say anything? Did she mention me at all?" I held onto hope that somewhere, some part of Bella still loved me, still wanted me. Did she hold me on the same level as the Cullen boy, or was I special? I had to know.

"She—" Avarice began slowly but was abruptly cut off.

"She said nothing," Lazarus said quickly and crossed his arms. "Right, brother?"

Avarice glanced at Lazarus for a few seconds before slowly nodding, and the final nail found its home in my metaphorical coffin.

I turned away from the two of them, feeling my gut twist and my dead heart shudder in agony. The love I had for Bella was uncontrollable and undeniable, and the pain, knowing that she no longer felt the same way I felt, was indescribable. My knees buckled and I crashed to the floor, a deep shudder cutting through me. I loved her, yes, I loved her. She was the first human woman that elicited these hidden emotions and feelings, and now, I meant nothing to her. The idea alone was devastating; realizing that it was the truth, was crushing.

"Your pain is only temporary, brother," Lazarus mused beside me, patting my shoulder softly.

"My torture is unyielding," I hissed in response, gripping the floor beneath me. The wood splintered in my grasp, and I snarled as I pulled up one of the floor boards. "There's no rest for me from suffering!"

"There is solitude, brother," he insisted and placed the other hand on the opposite shoulder. "I assure you."

That was when the draining began; I knew it because I had been through it before. A few days after the McRae brothers had discovered that I wanted to destroy Aryana, Lazarus had taken it upon himself to lock away any and all memories of my wife. I couldn't remember her name or what she looked like; all I could recall was that I had a wife and was madly in love with her at one time.

I suppose I could respect his reason for wanting to do this; as her mate, Lazarus would do anything and everything to protect Aryana. However, when I realized what he had done, I flew into a rage. How would you feel if you realized every memory you had with the person you loved was gone? Now, as the memories with Bella flashed before my eyes, a part of my brain was screaming at me to do something, but another part was simply enjoying the images. I sighed heavily as I saw the first time we kissed, well, the first time I had kissed her. A soft smile tugged at my lips at the same time my rational side broke through.

"No!"

My eyes shot open and, after pushing his arm away from me, I spun around and came face-to-face with Lazarus. His eyes held a soft surprise, but quickly evened out as he called for Avarice. Before I could move, Avarice seized me around the chest and tightened his grasp as I kicked. My eyes turned back towards Lazarus, who was moving closer with his hand outstretched.

"Let me go!" I tried to elbow Avarice, only for his grasp to squeeze me even more. "I won't let you do this again! Stop!"

Two things happened simultaneously as Lazarus tried to finish what he had started; the front door flew open, hitting the wall with a bang, and a very furious Aryana slammed into her husband. Avarice released me and I thrust myself across the room, close to the side door. Part of me wanted to bolt out the door, but the thought that Ary might need my help forced me to stay.

"You lying, manipulative bastard!" I heard Ary snarl, and, when I turned around, I saw my sister with her hands around Lazarus's neck. She had used her strength, and his unwillingness to harm her, to force him to his knees.

"Aryana, stop!" Avarice growled, trying with all his might to break her grasp. Since she already had her hands on him, Avarice's ability wouldn't save Lazarus. "Please, let him go!"

"Do it," Lazarus croaked, and Aryana looked down at him. "Please, Yana; let me die by your hands."

"Damn it!" Aryana roared angrily and pushed him away, sending his body crashing into a side table. She stalked away from the brothers and retreated to my side. "Are you all right?"

"Did you know?" I had to know if she knew what Lazarus had planned to do to Bella. She had never lied to me before, but I still couldn't shake the feeling that she was in on this.

"Know what?" She cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes.

"No games, no riddles, Aryana," I snarled and shifted my entire body in her direction. "Did you know that they planned on locking away Bella's memory?"

Ary's back went straight as an arrow, and, as her eyes narrowed, her entire body began to tremble. We both turned slowly to face the two brothers, who were looking guiltier than ever. A slow rumble came from her chest, and I immediately knew that she knew nothing about their plans.

"How could you?" she whispered and Lazarus's face fell. "It wasn't enough that you broke me, you had to destroy what little I had rebuilt."

"No, Yana, I—"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Her voice made us all flinch; there was so much pain, suffering, and pure anger in her voice that frightened me to the core.

There was an earsplitting silence that disturbed me, and, for once, I didn't know what to do. The brotherly part of me wanted to comfort Aryana, to remind her that she was still loved, but the other side told me, in her furious state, she might give me another scar. Lazarus could not tear his eyes from his wife, while Avarice refused to look at anyone.

"I made her a promise," Ary finally said, directing her words at me.

"You shouldn't have done that, Ary," Avarice said softly, and her head snapped in his direction, earning him a severe snarl. "Don't you growl at me, Aryana; you know very well why you should not have done what you did."

"She deserves better," Ary challenged, her voice growing darker.

"Yes," Avarice agreed and took a step forward. "She deserves better than a life of running, an existence of hiding, fearing for her life. You told me once that you wish Ira, Dante, and all the others would leave, so they could lead happy lives."

"Ira and Dante stay because Lazarus saved their lives," Ary growled and turned her back on them.

"They stay for you!" Lazarus growled angrily, which surprised us all. It was detrimental that Lazarus remained calm and composed; if he grew too angry or too emotional, then his ability could rip the immediate vicinity to pieces, along with all who inhabited it. While he had been in Texas, a few vampires had attacked the house he was staying in, and made an attempt to kill him. He grew angry and the house was completely destroyed in a matter of seconds; the police were baffled.

"You always fill our ears with your self-loathing," Lazarus said furiously, his crimson eyes burning as he approached Aryana. "You go on and on about how you should live in solitude, and, yet you promise something so contradictory to Bella. I love you, Yana, but you need to make up your damn mind."

"Erickson," Ary said steadily, the same voice she had when she was making every attempt to control herself. "You need to leave."

"What?" How could she ask me to leave?

"Did I stutter?" she snapped back at me. "This is not your fight."

The harshness in her voice alerted something inside me, and, after one last look at the two brothers, I turned and dashed out the door. As I ran through the forest, I wondered where she wanted me to go, what she wanted me to do. However, as I ran alongside the highway, I knew immediately where my body was taking me, and I didn't fight it. With one last look towards the house I had called my home, I disappeared into the dead of night.

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue II: Aryana McRae<strong>

"Well, that could've gone better," Avarice mumbled behind me as I watched Erickson disappear into the shadows in the forest. I sighed and shifted back to face the two brothers, ready to tear them both apart, and was surprised when Avarice growled at Lazarus. "Why didn't you tell him what Bella said? You lied to him!"

"If I had been honest with him," Lazarus responded, without tearing his eyes from mine, "then he wouldn't have left. He would have remained in the shadows of Bella's world, looking for a way in; in the end, he would have unintentionally destroyed both their lives."

"It wouldn't have to be that way," I sniped, crossing my arms accusingly, "if you two had simply left her alone."

"And what will happen when the pure bloods send their spies, Aryana?" Avarice demanded, crossing the space between us. "What will Bella do when they discover what she knows?"

"That's why she should come with us," I reasoned, but immediately felt the futility of my own argument. Bella wouldn't remember me now. I'd be just another face in the crowd—with a really striking eye color.

"This is a mess." Avarice ran a hand through his dark hair, glanced back at his brother, and hissed. "And you should consult me the next time you decide to shuffle anyone's memories! My God, did you actually think that would work?"

"Possibly," Lazarus said, his face faltering as he rubbed the site where Erickson had bitten him. I had to agree; attempting to lock Erickson's memory in the spur of the moment was pretty idiotic. "Though, I must admit, it wasn't the smartest decision."

"Well, you haven't exactly been making those lately, have you?" Avarice turned to face his brother fully, his back arched, and his voice laced with venomous rage.

"And what is that meant to imply?" Lazarus finally broke eye contact with me, and looked at his brother.

I rolled my eyes slightly and prepared myself. I knew exactly where this was going.

"Oh, nothing much, brother," he remarked sarcastically, taking a step towards Lazarus. "Just that you broke my sister, left her to fend for herself, and it doesn't even seem to bother you."

"You assume too much, Avarice," Lazarus answered testily. "Until you've been inside my head, you should keep your mouth shut."

"You don't deserve her," Avarice whispered and turned away, heading towards the front door. "You never have."

If there was one skill Avarice had, other than his shielding capabilities, that no one else knew of, it was this—like any sibling, he knew just what to say to make his bother angry. After they had helped me escape the Side Show, it wasn't just Lazarus who had proclaimed his affection for me; Avarice had revealed to me on several occasions that he loved me as well. The two, eventually realizing that they each wanted what the other craved, almost declared war—until I was bitten. This was all before Avarice met Skye, of course, but that small part of our history was enough to make Lazarus crazy. Now, as Avarice started to leave, my estranged husband erupted like a volcano, and so did everything around us.

I had lied to Bella when I had told her Lazarus wasn't a telekinetic. It wasn't that I didn't trust her; I guess I had just gotten so used to keeping his secret, it'd become like second nature to me. Why was it a secret? Because Aro of the Volturi had hunted us down for Avarice's ability. Thankfully, Lazarus's had not fully developed yet.

In truth, in the past hundred years Lazarus' gifts had evolved into something dangerously volatile. His telekinesis depended on his moods: if he was calm, he could flip vases around with his mind, if he was angry, he became an unstoppable force of nature.

Now, as his temper swelled, so did the air around us.

Avarice spun around, his eyes wide in shock, as the walls began to shake and the windows shattered. He frowned in disapproval and crossed his arms. "Seriously? You're going to throw a temper tantrum?"

The rumbling became louder and the walls slowly began to crumble.

"What do you hope to accomplish, Lazarus?" Avarice continued, unfazed by the imminent destruction around us. Then again, we both knew that we'd survive if the house exploded; the worst that would happen to us is being thrown all the way to Seattle. "Or are you upset that what I said is the truth?"

The railing on the staircase combusted, the wood flakes drifting down to the ground like snow, and the window panes ripped from the walls. Despite my anger with Lazarus, I knew that this would certainly draw too much attention to Forks; I had to do something to calm the storm. But what?

"Everything could have been different," Avarice snapped, his eyes falling to the floor.

The picture frames, holding all of our portraits, shot off the wall and crashed to the floor. Still Avarice did not move or look afraid. I looked at Lazarus; his face was angry, but there was a slight sadness behind his eyes. Avarice's words appeared to be hitting their mark, and I immediately knew what I had to do. The raging, angry side of me cursed the idea stirring in my head, but I shoved it aside. I pushed myself away from the wall I had been clinging to and walked directly to Lazarus. He eyed me warily but I could feel his power diminishing the closer I got.

Finally, I was standing directly in front of him, looking up into his black irises, the force of his ability swishing my hair about me. I closed my eyes as my memories overtook me and I recalled another time, another place.

_It was autumn and we had just made it to the New England coastline. I could feel Lazarus approaching me, and I immediately tensed up. Before we had left, he had asked me to be his mate, and, not exactly sure what that entailed, I had said "yes." We had traveled by boat, but had abandoned ship when we realized it would take less time to swim there. I had not spoken to him since we had boarded the vessel._

_Now as he approached, a chill swept over my body and heat boiled within me when his hand found my shoulder. With a deep breath, I shifted and found him staring at me cautiously. His hand trailed down to the small of my back._

_The air caught in my throat and I stopped breathing. This was still strange to me, even though I had been changed over a month prior, and my brow deepened as I pondered it. Sensing my uncertainty, Lazarus cupped my face with his hands and smiled warmly._

_I loved it when he smiled at me like that._

_Then, with a small sigh, he leaned in a pressed his lips to mine. Lightning shot into my mouth, traveled down my arms and through my legs. My entire being was buzzing and teaming with life, and my heart raced in my chest. Without thinking, I wrapped myself around him, wanting nothing more than to be connected to him, and felt him smile in our kiss._

When I came back from my thoughts, I realized immediately that I had gone above and beyond. Having been so wrapped up in my memories, I had practically reenacted the kiss right there in the living room. The good news was the house had settled down, the annoying news was that tiny fragments of glass were spinning through the air—compliments of Lazarus's blissful state—, and the bad news was that Avarice was simply watching us, wearing a haunted expression.

Realizing that continuing to inhale my husband's face was not the best option, I took a step back and lowered my eyes. "Do you feel better, now?"

I heard him inhale deeply and after a few seconds of silence, answered, "Yes."

I looked to Avarice. "Are you all right?"

"Do I look all right?" He answered, not meeting my gaze.

"Avarice," I sighed but he held up his hand, silencing me, and disappeared deeper into the house. I could hear the backdoor open and close, followed by his footsteps trailing away. I growled and slashed at the nearest wall, which splintered under my assault. _"Why does this always_ _happen?"_

"Yana," Lazarus called, and I briefly reveled in how he pronounced my nickname. "My brother's emotions are his to control; don't trouble yourself on his account."

"He's troubled himself on my account," I hissed, glaring at him over my shoulder. "He and Erickson have gone out of their way to help me," I spun around, "_what have you done?"_

He blurred forward, his face contorting as he moved, and seized my wrists. His black eyes bore into my face with an angry intensity that I'd only seen directed at others. He snarled viciously as he grasped me, pulling me closer, and breathed heavily.

"I've done nothing but protect you," he roared, releasing my hands so he could cup my cheeks. "Why can't you believe that? Aryana, you've been my entire world since I met you."

This was too much for me.

I stepped away and shoved him, sending him flying into the wall, and fell into a crouch on the ground. If he loved me then how could he say all those horrible things to me? "Maybe you should have thought of that in Ontario."

"I'm not saying I wasn't a complete ass," he said, throwing up his hands in defense. "I'll regret that for the remainder of my life, I don't deserve your forgiveness."

"Glad we agree on something," I answered snidely.

"Please, Aryana," he pleaded, taking a step towards me. "I need you with me."

"That's where we differ, Lazarus," I responded and sighed. "I don't need you."

His face fell.

"Are you leaving us?" he whispered anxiously, referring to whether I was leaving the family or not.

"No." I would stay as long as the others needed me, and not a second longer. "But I want to make something abundantly clear; I do not wish to be anywhere near you."

"Yana, please—"

"Now," I continued, cutting him off, "if you don't mind, I have to go."

"Where are you going?" he asked despondently, barely looking at me.

"I need to pick up the family baggage." And I knew exactly where to find him.

I gazed up at Bella's opened window, thoroughly disturbed by my brother's actions, and sighed heavily. Finding him was easy; even if I wasn't able to follow his scent, I would've ended up here regardless. Of course, I was shocked to find Bella's window open, and Erickson's scent trailing through it.

"Please, tell me you're not in there," I said, exasperated.

"Leave me alone," his voice answered weakly from within the house.

I crouched, jumped softly—my strength putting me at the window's level— and maneuvered myself through the window. Erickson sat beside Bella's bed, shoulders slightly hunched, gazing at her longingly. I sighed heavily and sat beside him, allowing my hand to rest on his knee.

"So what's the plan?" he asked bleakly, his voice wavering.

"Back to Mexico," I answered and shifted to face him. "I came to get you."

"Why?" He responded lifelessly and I knew exactly what that meant. He planned on staying.

"You can't stay here, Eric," I said softly, knowing that if he chose to, no one could stop him. Erickson wasn't tied to the family as tightly as I was; he was free to make his own choices. "It won't help you anymore than it will help her."

"I know," he responded, surprising me. "I wanted to say goodbye, I just can't figure out how."

"I swear I didn't know," I whispered, feeling bitterness towards the two brothers for Bella's current predicament. "If I had…"

"I know," he said, softly.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to Bella's steady heartbeat, before Erickson sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. "What's going to happen to her?"

"What do you mean?"

"The consequences of Lazarus's mind play," he said, his words contorting venomously when speaking about my husband, and turned to me. "How's it going to affect her?"

"I honestly don't know," I responded, feeling the anxiety set in. "It depends on the amount of time spent around us. She's been closer than any other human, so I can't say for sure."

"The nightmares, the headaches," he moaned, and leaned back. "Someone should have warned her."

"It wouldn't have done any good." I shrugged, implying that Bella would have forgotten any warning we had given her. "We can only hope that, whatever happens, she'll get through it."

"Do you think she hates me?"

"Why on earth would you ask such a question?" I looked at him incredulously, shaking my head. "Bella loves you, Eric."

"I can't be sure of that," he said, lowering his head. "I can't be sure of anything."

"Yes, you can," I insisted, rising off the ground. "Be sure that you're my brother—and my friend."

"Ary." He sighed and looked away. "Stop."

"Eric," I said softly. "I need you with me; I can't do this without you."

Ever since Eric and I had made our compromise, we had gotten infinitely closer. True, I didn't approve of his methods of socializing with humans, but he was my friend regardless. I was unable to remember my own family, so those I was close with were near and dear to me. Avarice, Dante, Ira, Melena, Argos, Skye, and Erickson were all the family I never had. I tried to include Lazarus in that fold, but he had felt it necessary to withdraw himself. So be it.

I moved away from Eric to the window, and hopped down to the ground below. The air had grown colder, even though I could barely feel it, and the wind was beginning to howl. I was just about to start wondering if Eric was going to stay behind when I heard Bella's window shut. When I turned, I found Eric standing behind me, his face still depressed and broken.

"Well," he said, shrugging. "We might as well get going."

I smiled and nodded.

"That was really creepy, by the way," I said as we walked slowly up Bella's street.

"What was?" Eric asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Finding you in her room like that," I admitted, remembering how disturbing I found it that he was prowling around in her room in the dark.

"What's so bad about that?" He stopped and looked at me, his hands on his hips. I stifled a laugh; an indignant Erickson was always entertaining. "Seriously, tell me, Aryana."

"It's just weird, Eric," I answered, struggling to hold in my hysterics. "You, hiding in the darkness, skulking around."

"Well, of course it sounds weird," he agreed sarcastically, "when you put it like that!"

"I just call it like I see it," I said, smiling a bit wider.

A strangled scream came from the direction of Bella's house causing us to stop and turn. The light in her bedroom switched on, and moments later her father's voice woke her. Erickson and I simply stood there, staring at the illuminated window in the Swan household.

"Is it happening already?" Eric finally spoke, breaking the silence, taking a miniscule step back towards the house.

"No," I answered, shaking my head. "This is something else."

Whenever Lazarus shuffled someone's memories, we had observed that they would suffer headaches and nightmares as a result. However, the nightmares and such didn't start until a couple months afterward; I had no earthly idea as to why Bella was screaming in her sleep.

"Should we stay?" Eric was still making small movements towards the house. His eyes were desperate and frantic as the screaming melted into crying.

"No, Eric," I answered, shaking my head. "There's nothing more we can do for her."

With a deep sigh, Eric turned away and we both continued moving up the street, falling back into silence. The further we got from Bella's house, the more our pace quickened. By the time we got around the corner, we broke out into a sprint, taking us to the edge of town in less than a minute. We stopped as we found my Audi waiting where I had parked it, just behind the "Welcome to Forks" sign.

"Do you think we'll ever come back?" Eric asked, and as I turned, I found him staring back across the small town in the distance.

"Possibly," I admitted and he turned to me. "You never know what the future will hold."

He smiled at me, nodded, and we both climbed into the car. As we pulled away, I glanced in the rearview mirror, and watched the tiny town of Forks disappear. With a silent hope for Bella's safety, and a worry about what tomorrow would bring, we vanished into the dead of night.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: Sequel (Nocturne) will be reposted<em>


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